The Effects of Physical Characteristics

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Chapter 6

• The Effects of Physical Characteristics

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• Physical attractiveness most important in dating
  and more public relationships?

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• For men 47 rated physical attractiveness
  essential or very important
• For women 29 rated physical attractiveness
  essential or very important
• Attractive and financially independent women did
  place a high value on attractiveness

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Computer dance studies
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Computer Dance Studies

• 752 College students paired for a Freshman dance
  (Walster, et al., 1966)
• Collected information (self-reports)
• Popularity
• Religious preference
• Height
• Race
• Expectations for the date
• Self-esteem, high school academic percentile
  rank, scholastic aptitude score, personality test
  scores
• Also rated for attractiveness
• Strong correlation between desire to date again
  and physical attractiveness.

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Matching hypothesis affect on our decisions
regarding socializing and long-term relationship
partners?
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Matching Hypothesis

• Although most attractive partner is desired, we
  tend to select someone similar to ourselves in
  physical attractiveness.

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Impact of global concept of attractiveness
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Global Attractiveness

• Common standards in each culture
• Impact most obviously seen
• Dating and marriage
• On the job
• Persuading others
• Self-esteem
• Antisocial behavior

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Persuasion and Self-Esteem

• Persuading Others
• Attractiveness very helpful when compliance on a
• low ego-involving topic
• relatively short/one-time request
• when initial impression impact is crucial
• Male and female
• Most of the studies concern college students

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Seven features of our bodies and their affect on
self and other perceptions
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Features

• The face
• Body shape
• Height
• Body image
• Body color
• Body smell
• Body hair

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• Roles of clothing and other artifacts in
  communication with others

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Clothing and Other Artifacts

• And Communication
• Functions
• As information about the person
• Effects on wearer
• And personality
• Artifacts and body decoration

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• ATTRACTIVENESS SURVEY