B efore marriage, love or even dating, there is attraction, the unexpected force that draws two people together. Physical attractiveness is the physical traits which are perceived and believed to be aesthetically pleasing or beautiful. There are multiple factors which influence one person to be attracted to another. These factors can vary between many cultures, cultural and social aspects, and individual subjective preferences (Gangestad & Scyheyd, 2005). An individuals perceived attractiveness can have a significant effect on how they are judged in terms of employment or social opportunities, friendship, sexual behavior, and marriage (Townsend & Levy, 1990).
The media and general public portray a female’s sexuality as a mystery, but is it? Scientific research has revealed several factors that influence heterosexual women’s attraction to men. Researchers have shown that women are strongly attracted to men who are agreeable (Jensen-Campbell, Graziano, & West, 1995), intelligent (Hatfield & Sprecher, 1995), humorous (Bressler, Martin, & Balshine, 2006), generous (Sprecher & Regan, 2002), h igh level of income and social status are also key factors in mate selection (Townsend & Levy, 1990). The majority of women are attracted to symmetrical faces with masculine qualities such as a prominent chin and cheekbones as well as a body that is symmetrical and muscular, with the shoulders wider than the hips (Gangestad & Scyheyd, 2005). Women also prefer a man who is slightly taller than average with a deep voice (Buss, 2008). The combination of such traits is linked to good health and high testosterone levels, which increases the likelihood of reproduction (Gangestad & Scheyd, 2005). This research reveals that a female’s se...
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...When compared with fake smiles an individual’s cheek raisers are more activated cause the orbicular oculi muscles to contract displaying crow’s feet wrinkles in the corners of the eyes (Hager & Ekman, 1985). There is evidence that people subconsciously check for the presence of crow’s feet when determining if a smile is genuine (Williams, Senior, David, Loughland, & Gordon, 2001). Further studies revealed fake smiles earn less trust during first impressions when compared to genuine smiles (Averbeck & Duchaine, 2009).
The purpose of our experiment is to explore the effects of smile type: real or fake, and background color: red or white, on an individual’s perceived attraction based on sexual preference. Based on previous research and experiments, we hypothesize that models with genuine smiles and red backgrounds will be perceived and rated as more attractive.
There is a famous saying that states, “ we should not judge a book by its cover”, but oftentimes the first thing noticed on a person is their looks. One’s “physical beauty” strongly influences people’s first impressions of them. As a whole, we tend to assume that pretty people are more likeable and better people than those who are unattractive. Around the world, we believe that what is beautiful is good. There is a general consensus within a culture about what is considered physically appealing and beautiful. “Physical beauty” is associated with being more sociable, intelligent, and even socially skilled. Society shares this common notion of who has and who does not have “physical beauty”. Thus, “physical beauty”, as seen
To test the romantic red effect, Elliot et al conducted five experiments. For experiment 3, the researchers conducted a self-report study where participants reported their level of attraction using a rating scale. The researchers operationalized the independent variable of the red and gray conditions as changing the background colors behind female photos and operationalized the dependent variable of attraction as the participant’s rating of the women. The result of experiment 3 was that men viewed women as more attractive on a red background than a
What’s behind a woman’s smile? Amy Cunningham analyzes the intentions behind a woman’s smile in her essay “Why Women Smile.” An individual’s facial expressions tell a lot about them and how they’re feeling, what they’re thinking, or what their personality is like. Culture has played a huge role in shaping individuals into what they believe, what they should like or don’t like, how things should – basically what’s “normal”. In the Western culture, smiling is prevalent; it has become a necessary factor in “quickly winning friends and influencing people,” as Cunningham states. As supported with the following example:
The five factors associated with attraction are proximity, similarity, reciprocal liking, physical attractiveness, and evolution (Aronson, Wilson, & Akert, 2013). With proximity, people are more likely to become attracted to those they see and interact with regularly. The second factor, similarity, is based upon two individuals having a general match in interests, attitudes, values, etc. In reciprocal liking, an interested in someone is often sparked when they know the other is interested, despite being dissimilar in other aspects. Physical attraction plays a role in that it is the factor that has the greatest impact on sexual desire. With physical attraction, there is also the assumption that what is beautiful is good, and therefore possessing all other positive qualities, as well. Lastly, evolution is believed to play a role in attraction because men and women seek certain characteristics in order to maximize their reproductive success (Aronson et al., 2013). Each of these factors plays a role in determining attraction but...
Dr. Lisa Debryne decided to alter two pictures of the same person. One alteration was to make the face symmetrical, and the other alteration was to make the face uneven. From there, she convinced a group of people that the two photos were identical twins, and for them to choose which twin was more attractive. A large majority said the person with the symmetrical face was more attractive that the one whose face was uneven. This experiment shows even the slightest facial indifference can make you appear disheveled and unattractive.
Attraction may be influenced by many factors. One possible explanation to explain attraction is the sexual selection theory firstly proposed by Darwin (1871) which includes two related processes. Intrasexual section was the first process which described the tendency of one sex to compete amongst themselves for access to members of the opposite sex. The second process intersexual selection which explained the inclination of members of one sex to selectively choose certain members of the opposite sex as partners. Intersexual selection was usually selected by females as they were the choosier and selective sex than males in mate preference. In addition Darwin (1871) also suggested the evolution of characteristics that offer reproductive advantages to organisms compared to survival advantages. Survival is vital to organisms as it affects reproduction, and those who are successful at being chosen by the opposite sex will evolve as they give organisms reproductive advantages.
Physical appearance affects the way people think in many important moments in life. When looking for a job, for example, the manager will always look for the best candidate based on
The attractiveness of male models has increased. Men still devoted more time to looking at women pictures rather than men. This adds to the evidence that regardless of whether a man is straight, gay, or bisexual, men are still more category specific than women. Heterosexual men claimed to be more attracted to female than male models, and this was evident due to their much larger viewing times of females versus male models. Moreover, this large difference in time depending on the sex of the model increased when models were very attractive. In contrast, heterosexual women claimed to be attracted to both sex of models, and their “attractions and viewing times to both sexes increased with models’ attractiveness.” Moreover, in comparison to men, the difference between women’s viewing time of models of differing sexes was much smaller.
According to an MSNBC survey, 53% of single people find a great smile to be the most attractive feature in a potential mate. Another percentage of single people surveyed that flattery is the best was to attract someone (Dating/Relationship Statistics). Psychologists at the University of Pennsylvania studied data from over 10,000 speed daters and found that most people make a decision regarding a person’s attraction within three seconds of meeting (Penn New ).
Elliot, Andrew J., Jessica L. Tracy, Adam D. Pazda, and Alec T. Bealll. "Red Enhances Women's Attractiveness to Men: First Evidence Suggesting Universality." Journal of Experimental Social Psychology (2013): n. pag. Web. 09 Mar. 2014.
"All power is from within and therefore under our control." Robert Collier (Byrne, 165). This quote illustrates a certain law, a law that can grant the deepest desires of mans’ hearts. This law is ‘the most powerful law in the universe, the Law of Attraction” (Mullins, ii). There is a way, through this law, that all that one could ever want can be attained, and also all that one would never in their lifetime wish to endure can be avoided. The definition of this law is quite intriguing, not to mention that it is accomplished and run by love, and that the level of negativity in one’s thoughts alone can drastically change the outcomes of what could transpire.
Gender roles and identity are constantly shifting throughout different societal generations. Men and woman both have notable similarities and differences in genders and they each contribute to their personalities and actions. In the past men have been viewed as a more dominant sex in society over women, both in careers, home life, and sexually, however, today women have bridged many of the gaps and society is accepting a more equal view of genders. The following examines the similarities and differences between men and woman by looking at biological characteristics, gender roles, and sexual responses.
Good physical appearance helps in building up flexible relationships. For example women who take care of their physical appearance manage to have a better relatio...
Sexual attraction refers to desirability as it relates to a sexual connection; individuals are sexually attracted to those they would perceive as a mate in some way. This attraction can be rooted in a variety of factors, including those both tangible and intangible. Sexual attraction often refers to physical attraction, or being aroused by a person’s physical traits. These can include appearance, smell, or voice. However, sexual
How many times have we heard or said the clique “don’t judge a book by it’s cover,” yet we focus so much of our attention on our physically appearance. Everyday we encounter images in the media that make us believe we have to look a certain way. Physical beauty is portrayed as important and essential in order to find love and acceptance. Although physical beauty is moderately important, it is less than inner beauty for it diminishes with age.