The influence of female attractiveness on competitor derogation

Abstract

Female competitor derogation has been found to involve evaluations of facial attractiveness, such that women are more likely to derogate other women when they are most fertile (Fisher 2004). However, the ultimate purpose of this derogation remains unknown. In this article, we explore the possibility that women's derogations of rivals will influence potential mates, such that derogatory comments cause men to lower their attractiveness judgments of the rivals. Moreover, given that attractive women should be more preferred as mates by men, we investigate how a woman's facial attractiveness can affect her ability to influence men's perceptions. Our results indicate that the type of statements one makes significantly influences ratings of attractiveness, and that derogations by an attractive woman are more effective in their ability to influence men's evaluations of female facial attractiveness than are derogations by an unattractive woman. These effects do not hold for women, who are not significantly swayed by the attractiveness of the derogator. Several directions for future research are presented.