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The Psychology of
Attractiveness and
Attraction
The Psychology of Attraction
Who we like and why we like them
Three Ingredients
1 Physical Attractiveness
2 Proximity
3 Similarity
Physical Attractiveness
THE key determinant of
romantic attraction for both
sexes in initial stages of
dating (Sprecher amp Duck
1994)
Are there advantages to
being attractive in our
society
Are there disadvantages
Are there Advantages to Being
Good Looking
In school
In court
In families
In the workplace
The ldquoBeautiful-is-Goodrdquo Stereotype
ldquoHalo effectrdquo
Associating physical
attractiveness with
personality
characteristics
Questions for Analysis
What is the danger of falling prey to the halo
effect
Is it possible to change your opinion after being
exposed to the halo effect upon meeting
someone Why or why not
Is Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder
People asked to rate faces on a 10-point scale typically a high level of agreement across cultures (Cunningham et al 1995)
Women who are rated as attractive tend to have large eyes prominent cheekbones small nose and wide smile
Men rated as attractive if they have a broad jaw (Cunningham 1990)
People tend to like faces with ldquoaveragerdquo features (Langlois amp Roggman 1990)
Babies spend more time gazing at attractive faces (Langlois et al 1991)
NO Beauty is Objectivehellip Here is evidencehellip
Averageness Hypothesis
ldquoAttractive faces are only averagerdquo
Composite faces tend to be judged as more
attractive than their constituent images
Averageness is the critical determinant of
attractiveness
Similarity
Do ldquobirds of a feather flock togetherrdquo or ldquoopposites attractrdquo
Matching Hypothesis Couples tend to be similar in age race
religion social class personality education intelligence attitudes and appearance
Similarity
Reciprocity Effect ndash tendency to like those who show they like us
most people view their partners more favorably than the partners view themselves (Murray Holmes amp Griffin 1996)
Proximity
Proximity Effect ndash tendency to develop relationships with those who are around us
College students who live in off-campus housing tend to date those who live nearby (Hays 1985)
Attraction (Continued)
Why do we hate seeing a photo of ourselves
Mere Exposure Effect ndash tendency to positively evaluate a stimulus the more we are exposed to it
Four women attend a varying number of classes
Classmates rate women on personality amp how much they would like to spend time with her
The more classes a woman attended the more attracted the students were to her
(Morehead amp Beach 1992)
When Have We Found
THE ONE
Passionate love ndash complete
absorption in another that
includes sexual feelings and
intense emotion
Companionate love ndash warm
trusting affection for another
driven by friendship and
respect
Wrap-up
Think abouthellip
Who do we consider ldquoattractiverdquo
Does ldquoattractivenessrdquo impact how people are treated at
Robert Bateman Secondary
Why are we attracted to some people and not others
How do we know that wersquove found the one
Who we like who we love and why we like and love
them are important topics in social psychology
The Psychology of Attraction
Who we like and why we like them
Three Ingredients
1 Physical Attractiveness
2 Proximity
3 Similarity
Physical Attractiveness
THE key determinant of
romantic attraction for both
sexes in initial stages of
dating (Sprecher amp Duck
1994)
Are there advantages to
being attractive in our
society
Are there disadvantages
Are there Advantages to Being
Good Looking
In school
In court
In families
In the workplace
The ldquoBeautiful-is-Goodrdquo Stereotype
ldquoHalo effectrdquo
Associating physical
attractiveness with
personality
characteristics
Questions for Analysis
What is the danger of falling prey to the halo
effect
Is it possible to change your opinion after being
exposed to the halo effect upon meeting
someone Why or why not
Is Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder
People asked to rate faces on a 10-point scale typically a high level of agreement across cultures (Cunningham et al 1995)
Women who are rated as attractive tend to have large eyes prominent cheekbones small nose and wide smile
Men rated as attractive if they have a broad jaw (Cunningham 1990)
People tend to like faces with ldquoaveragerdquo features (Langlois amp Roggman 1990)
Babies spend more time gazing at attractive faces (Langlois et al 1991)
NO Beauty is Objectivehellip Here is evidencehellip
Averageness Hypothesis
ldquoAttractive faces are only averagerdquo
Composite faces tend to be judged as more
attractive than their constituent images
Averageness is the critical determinant of
attractiveness
Similarity
Do ldquobirds of a feather flock togetherrdquo or ldquoopposites attractrdquo
Matching Hypothesis Couples tend to be similar in age race
religion social class personality education intelligence attitudes and appearance
Similarity
Reciprocity Effect ndash tendency to like those who show they like us
most people view their partners more favorably than the partners view themselves (Murray Holmes amp Griffin 1996)
Proximity
Proximity Effect ndash tendency to develop relationships with those who are around us
College students who live in off-campus housing tend to date those who live nearby (Hays 1985)
Attraction (Continued)
Why do we hate seeing a photo of ourselves
Mere Exposure Effect ndash tendency to positively evaluate a stimulus the more we are exposed to it
Four women attend a varying number of classes
Classmates rate women on personality amp how much they would like to spend time with her
The more classes a woman attended the more attracted the students were to her
(Morehead amp Beach 1992)
When Have We Found
THE ONE
Passionate love ndash complete
absorption in another that
includes sexual feelings and
intense emotion
Companionate love ndash warm
trusting affection for another
driven by friendship and
respect
Wrap-up
Think abouthellip
Who do we consider ldquoattractiverdquo
Does ldquoattractivenessrdquo impact how people are treated at
Robert Bateman Secondary
Why are we attracted to some people and not others
How do we know that wersquove found the one
Who we like who we love and why we like and love
them are important topics in social psychology
Physical Attractiveness
THE key determinant of
romantic attraction for both
sexes in initial stages of
dating (Sprecher amp Duck
1994)
Are there advantages to
being attractive in our
society
Are there disadvantages
Are there Advantages to Being
Good Looking
In school
In court
In families
In the workplace
The ldquoBeautiful-is-Goodrdquo Stereotype
ldquoHalo effectrdquo
Associating physical
attractiveness with
personality
characteristics
Questions for Analysis
What is the danger of falling prey to the halo
effect
Is it possible to change your opinion after being
exposed to the halo effect upon meeting
someone Why or why not
Is Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder
People asked to rate faces on a 10-point scale typically a high level of agreement across cultures (Cunningham et al 1995)
Women who are rated as attractive tend to have large eyes prominent cheekbones small nose and wide smile
Men rated as attractive if they have a broad jaw (Cunningham 1990)
People tend to like faces with ldquoaveragerdquo features (Langlois amp Roggman 1990)
Babies spend more time gazing at attractive faces (Langlois et al 1991)
NO Beauty is Objectivehellip Here is evidencehellip
Averageness Hypothesis
ldquoAttractive faces are only averagerdquo
Composite faces tend to be judged as more
attractive than their constituent images
Averageness is the critical determinant of
attractiveness
Similarity
Do ldquobirds of a feather flock togetherrdquo or ldquoopposites attractrdquo
Matching Hypothesis Couples tend to be similar in age race
religion social class personality education intelligence attitudes and appearance
Similarity
Reciprocity Effect ndash tendency to like those who show they like us
most people view their partners more favorably than the partners view themselves (Murray Holmes amp Griffin 1996)
Proximity
Proximity Effect ndash tendency to develop relationships with those who are around us
College students who live in off-campus housing tend to date those who live nearby (Hays 1985)
Attraction (Continued)
Why do we hate seeing a photo of ourselves
Mere Exposure Effect ndash tendency to positively evaluate a stimulus the more we are exposed to it
Four women attend a varying number of classes
Classmates rate women on personality amp how much they would like to spend time with her
The more classes a woman attended the more attracted the students were to her
(Morehead amp Beach 1992)
When Have We Found
THE ONE
Passionate love ndash complete
absorption in another that
includes sexual feelings and
intense emotion
Companionate love ndash warm
trusting affection for another
driven by friendship and
respect
Wrap-up
Think abouthellip
Who do we consider ldquoattractiverdquo
Does ldquoattractivenessrdquo impact how people are treated at
Robert Bateman Secondary
Why are we attracted to some people and not others
How do we know that wersquove found the one
Who we like who we love and why we like and love
them are important topics in social psychology
Are there Advantages to Being
Good Looking
In school
In court
In families
In the workplace
The ldquoBeautiful-is-Goodrdquo Stereotype
ldquoHalo effectrdquo
Associating physical
attractiveness with
personality
characteristics
Questions for Analysis
What is the danger of falling prey to the halo
effect
Is it possible to change your opinion after being
exposed to the halo effect upon meeting
someone Why or why not
Is Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder
People asked to rate faces on a 10-point scale typically a high level of agreement across cultures (Cunningham et al 1995)
Women who are rated as attractive tend to have large eyes prominent cheekbones small nose and wide smile
Men rated as attractive if they have a broad jaw (Cunningham 1990)
People tend to like faces with ldquoaveragerdquo features (Langlois amp Roggman 1990)
Babies spend more time gazing at attractive faces (Langlois et al 1991)
NO Beauty is Objectivehellip Here is evidencehellip
Averageness Hypothesis
ldquoAttractive faces are only averagerdquo
Composite faces tend to be judged as more
attractive than their constituent images
Averageness is the critical determinant of
attractiveness
Similarity
Do ldquobirds of a feather flock togetherrdquo or ldquoopposites attractrdquo
Matching Hypothesis Couples tend to be similar in age race
religion social class personality education intelligence attitudes and appearance
Similarity
Reciprocity Effect ndash tendency to like those who show they like us
most people view their partners more favorably than the partners view themselves (Murray Holmes amp Griffin 1996)
Proximity
Proximity Effect ndash tendency to develop relationships with those who are around us
College students who live in off-campus housing tend to date those who live nearby (Hays 1985)
Attraction (Continued)
Why do we hate seeing a photo of ourselves
Mere Exposure Effect ndash tendency to positively evaluate a stimulus the more we are exposed to it
Four women attend a varying number of classes
Classmates rate women on personality amp how much they would like to spend time with her
The more classes a woman attended the more attracted the students were to her
(Morehead amp Beach 1992)
When Have We Found
THE ONE
Passionate love ndash complete
absorption in another that
includes sexual feelings and
intense emotion
Companionate love ndash warm
trusting affection for another
driven by friendship and
respect
Wrap-up
Think abouthellip
Who do we consider ldquoattractiverdquo
Does ldquoattractivenessrdquo impact how people are treated at
Robert Bateman Secondary
Why are we attracted to some people and not others
How do we know that wersquove found the one
Who we like who we love and why we like and love
them are important topics in social psychology
The ldquoBeautiful-is-Goodrdquo Stereotype
ldquoHalo effectrdquo
Associating physical
attractiveness with
personality
characteristics
Questions for Analysis
What is the danger of falling prey to the halo
effect
Is it possible to change your opinion after being
exposed to the halo effect upon meeting
someone Why or why not
Is Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder
People asked to rate faces on a 10-point scale typically a high level of agreement across cultures (Cunningham et al 1995)
Women who are rated as attractive tend to have large eyes prominent cheekbones small nose and wide smile
Men rated as attractive if they have a broad jaw (Cunningham 1990)
People tend to like faces with ldquoaveragerdquo features (Langlois amp Roggman 1990)
Babies spend more time gazing at attractive faces (Langlois et al 1991)
NO Beauty is Objectivehellip Here is evidencehellip
Averageness Hypothesis
ldquoAttractive faces are only averagerdquo
Composite faces tend to be judged as more
attractive than their constituent images
Averageness is the critical determinant of
attractiveness
Similarity
Do ldquobirds of a feather flock togetherrdquo or ldquoopposites attractrdquo
Matching Hypothesis Couples tend to be similar in age race
religion social class personality education intelligence attitudes and appearance
Similarity
Reciprocity Effect ndash tendency to like those who show they like us
most people view their partners more favorably than the partners view themselves (Murray Holmes amp Griffin 1996)
Proximity
Proximity Effect ndash tendency to develop relationships with those who are around us
College students who live in off-campus housing tend to date those who live nearby (Hays 1985)
Attraction (Continued)
Why do we hate seeing a photo of ourselves
Mere Exposure Effect ndash tendency to positively evaluate a stimulus the more we are exposed to it
Four women attend a varying number of classes
Classmates rate women on personality amp how much they would like to spend time with her
The more classes a woman attended the more attracted the students were to her
(Morehead amp Beach 1992)
When Have We Found
THE ONE
Passionate love ndash complete
absorption in another that
includes sexual feelings and
intense emotion
Companionate love ndash warm
trusting affection for another
driven by friendship and
respect
Wrap-up
Think abouthellip
Who do we consider ldquoattractiverdquo
Does ldquoattractivenessrdquo impact how people are treated at
Robert Bateman Secondary
Why are we attracted to some people and not others
How do we know that wersquove found the one
Who we like who we love and why we like and love
them are important topics in social psychology
Questions for Analysis
What is the danger of falling prey to the halo
effect
Is it possible to change your opinion after being
exposed to the halo effect upon meeting
someone Why or why not
Is Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder
People asked to rate faces on a 10-point scale typically a high level of agreement across cultures (Cunningham et al 1995)
Women who are rated as attractive tend to have large eyes prominent cheekbones small nose and wide smile
Men rated as attractive if they have a broad jaw (Cunningham 1990)
People tend to like faces with ldquoaveragerdquo features (Langlois amp Roggman 1990)
Babies spend more time gazing at attractive faces (Langlois et al 1991)
NO Beauty is Objectivehellip Here is evidencehellip
Averageness Hypothesis
ldquoAttractive faces are only averagerdquo
Composite faces tend to be judged as more
attractive than their constituent images
Averageness is the critical determinant of
attractiveness
Similarity
Do ldquobirds of a feather flock togetherrdquo or ldquoopposites attractrdquo
Matching Hypothesis Couples tend to be similar in age race
religion social class personality education intelligence attitudes and appearance
Similarity
Reciprocity Effect ndash tendency to like those who show they like us
most people view their partners more favorably than the partners view themselves (Murray Holmes amp Griffin 1996)
Proximity
Proximity Effect ndash tendency to develop relationships with those who are around us
College students who live in off-campus housing tend to date those who live nearby (Hays 1985)
Attraction (Continued)
Why do we hate seeing a photo of ourselves
Mere Exposure Effect ndash tendency to positively evaluate a stimulus the more we are exposed to it
Four women attend a varying number of classes
Classmates rate women on personality amp how much they would like to spend time with her
The more classes a woman attended the more attracted the students were to her
(Morehead amp Beach 1992)
When Have We Found
THE ONE
Passionate love ndash complete
absorption in another that
includes sexual feelings and
intense emotion
Companionate love ndash warm
trusting affection for another
driven by friendship and
respect
Wrap-up
Think abouthellip
Who do we consider ldquoattractiverdquo
Does ldquoattractivenessrdquo impact how people are treated at
Robert Bateman Secondary
Why are we attracted to some people and not others
How do we know that wersquove found the one
Who we like who we love and why we like and love
them are important topics in social psychology
Is Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder
People asked to rate faces on a 10-point scale typically a high level of agreement across cultures (Cunningham et al 1995)
Women who are rated as attractive tend to have large eyes prominent cheekbones small nose and wide smile
Men rated as attractive if they have a broad jaw (Cunningham 1990)
People tend to like faces with ldquoaveragerdquo features (Langlois amp Roggman 1990)
Babies spend more time gazing at attractive faces (Langlois et al 1991)
NO Beauty is Objectivehellip Here is evidencehellip
Averageness Hypothesis
ldquoAttractive faces are only averagerdquo
Composite faces tend to be judged as more
attractive than their constituent images
Averageness is the critical determinant of
attractiveness
Similarity
Do ldquobirds of a feather flock togetherrdquo or ldquoopposites attractrdquo
Matching Hypothesis Couples tend to be similar in age race
religion social class personality education intelligence attitudes and appearance
Similarity
Reciprocity Effect ndash tendency to like those who show they like us
most people view their partners more favorably than the partners view themselves (Murray Holmes amp Griffin 1996)
Proximity
Proximity Effect ndash tendency to develop relationships with those who are around us
College students who live in off-campus housing tend to date those who live nearby (Hays 1985)
Attraction (Continued)
Why do we hate seeing a photo of ourselves
Mere Exposure Effect ndash tendency to positively evaluate a stimulus the more we are exposed to it
Four women attend a varying number of classes
Classmates rate women on personality amp how much they would like to spend time with her
The more classes a woman attended the more attracted the students were to her
(Morehead amp Beach 1992)
When Have We Found
THE ONE
Passionate love ndash complete
absorption in another that
includes sexual feelings and
intense emotion
Companionate love ndash warm
trusting affection for another
driven by friendship and
respect
Wrap-up
Think abouthellip
Who do we consider ldquoattractiverdquo
Does ldquoattractivenessrdquo impact how people are treated at
Robert Bateman Secondary
Why are we attracted to some people and not others
How do we know that wersquove found the one
Who we like who we love and why we like and love
them are important topics in social psychology
Averageness Hypothesis
ldquoAttractive faces are only averagerdquo
Composite faces tend to be judged as more
attractive than their constituent images
Averageness is the critical determinant of
attractiveness
Similarity
Do ldquobirds of a feather flock togetherrdquo or ldquoopposites attractrdquo
Matching Hypothesis Couples tend to be similar in age race
religion social class personality education intelligence attitudes and appearance
Similarity
Reciprocity Effect ndash tendency to like those who show they like us
most people view their partners more favorably than the partners view themselves (Murray Holmes amp Griffin 1996)
Proximity
Proximity Effect ndash tendency to develop relationships with those who are around us
College students who live in off-campus housing tend to date those who live nearby (Hays 1985)
Attraction (Continued)
Why do we hate seeing a photo of ourselves
Mere Exposure Effect ndash tendency to positively evaluate a stimulus the more we are exposed to it
Four women attend a varying number of classes
Classmates rate women on personality amp how much they would like to spend time with her
The more classes a woman attended the more attracted the students were to her
(Morehead amp Beach 1992)
When Have We Found
THE ONE
Passionate love ndash complete
absorption in another that
includes sexual feelings and
intense emotion
Companionate love ndash warm
trusting affection for another
driven by friendship and
respect
Wrap-up
Think abouthellip
Who do we consider ldquoattractiverdquo
Does ldquoattractivenessrdquo impact how people are treated at
Robert Bateman Secondary
Why are we attracted to some people and not others
How do we know that wersquove found the one
Who we like who we love and why we like and love
them are important topics in social psychology
Similarity
Do ldquobirds of a feather flock togetherrdquo or ldquoopposites attractrdquo
Matching Hypothesis Couples tend to be similar in age race
religion social class personality education intelligence attitudes and appearance
Similarity
Reciprocity Effect ndash tendency to like those who show they like us
most people view their partners more favorably than the partners view themselves (Murray Holmes amp Griffin 1996)
Proximity
Proximity Effect ndash tendency to develop relationships with those who are around us
College students who live in off-campus housing tend to date those who live nearby (Hays 1985)
Attraction (Continued)
Why do we hate seeing a photo of ourselves
Mere Exposure Effect ndash tendency to positively evaluate a stimulus the more we are exposed to it
Four women attend a varying number of classes
Classmates rate women on personality amp how much they would like to spend time with her
The more classes a woman attended the more attracted the students were to her
(Morehead amp Beach 1992)
When Have We Found
THE ONE
Passionate love ndash complete
absorption in another that
includes sexual feelings and
intense emotion
Companionate love ndash warm
trusting affection for another
driven by friendship and
respect
Wrap-up
Think abouthellip
Who do we consider ldquoattractiverdquo
Does ldquoattractivenessrdquo impact how people are treated at
Robert Bateman Secondary
Why are we attracted to some people and not others
How do we know that wersquove found the one
Who we like who we love and why we like and love
them are important topics in social psychology
Similarity
Reciprocity Effect ndash tendency to like those who show they like us
most people view their partners more favorably than the partners view themselves (Murray Holmes amp Griffin 1996)
Proximity
Proximity Effect ndash tendency to develop relationships with those who are around us
College students who live in off-campus housing tend to date those who live nearby (Hays 1985)
Attraction (Continued)
Why do we hate seeing a photo of ourselves
Mere Exposure Effect ndash tendency to positively evaluate a stimulus the more we are exposed to it
Four women attend a varying number of classes
Classmates rate women on personality amp how much they would like to spend time with her
The more classes a woman attended the more attracted the students were to her
(Morehead amp Beach 1992)
When Have We Found
THE ONE
Passionate love ndash complete
absorption in another that
includes sexual feelings and
intense emotion
Companionate love ndash warm
trusting affection for another
driven by friendship and
respect
Wrap-up
Think abouthellip
Who do we consider ldquoattractiverdquo
Does ldquoattractivenessrdquo impact how people are treated at
Robert Bateman Secondary
Why are we attracted to some people and not others
How do we know that wersquove found the one
Who we like who we love and why we like and love
them are important topics in social psychology
Proximity
Proximity Effect ndash tendency to develop relationships with those who are around us
College students who live in off-campus housing tend to date those who live nearby (Hays 1985)
Attraction (Continued)
Why do we hate seeing a photo of ourselves
Mere Exposure Effect ndash tendency to positively evaluate a stimulus the more we are exposed to it
Four women attend a varying number of classes
Classmates rate women on personality amp how much they would like to spend time with her
The more classes a woman attended the more attracted the students were to her
(Morehead amp Beach 1992)
When Have We Found
THE ONE
Passionate love ndash complete
absorption in another that
includes sexual feelings and
intense emotion
Companionate love ndash warm
trusting affection for another
driven by friendship and
respect
Wrap-up
Think abouthellip
Who do we consider ldquoattractiverdquo
Does ldquoattractivenessrdquo impact how people are treated at
Robert Bateman Secondary
Why are we attracted to some people and not others
How do we know that wersquove found the one
Who we like who we love and why we like and love
them are important topics in social psychology
Attraction (Continued)
Why do we hate seeing a photo of ourselves
Mere Exposure Effect ndash tendency to positively evaluate a stimulus the more we are exposed to it
Four women attend a varying number of classes
Classmates rate women on personality amp how much they would like to spend time with her
The more classes a woman attended the more attracted the students were to her
(Morehead amp Beach 1992)
When Have We Found
THE ONE
Passionate love ndash complete
absorption in another that
includes sexual feelings and
intense emotion
Companionate love ndash warm
trusting affection for another
driven by friendship and
respect
Wrap-up
Think abouthellip
Who do we consider ldquoattractiverdquo
Does ldquoattractivenessrdquo impact how people are treated at
Robert Bateman Secondary
Why are we attracted to some people and not others
How do we know that wersquove found the one
Who we like who we love and why we like and love
them are important topics in social psychology
When Have We Found
THE ONE
Passionate love ndash complete
absorption in another that
includes sexual feelings and
intense emotion
Companionate love ndash warm
trusting affection for another
driven by friendship and
respect
Wrap-up
Think abouthellip
Who do we consider ldquoattractiverdquo
Does ldquoattractivenessrdquo impact how people are treated at
Robert Bateman Secondary
Why are we attracted to some people and not others
How do we know that wersquove found the one
Who we like who we love and why we like and love
them are important topics in social psychology
Wrap-up
Think abouthellip
Who do we consider ldquoattractiverdquo
Does ldquoattractivenessrdquo impact how people are treated at
Robert Bateman Secondary
Why are we attracted to some people and not others
How do we know that wersquove found the one
Who we like who we love and why we like and love
them are important topics in social psychology