Attractiveness Of Others Research Articles

The impact of facial attractiveness and alleged personality traits on fairness decisions in the ultimatum game: Evidence from ERPs.

In the mind of the beholder the personality and facial attractiveness of others are interrelated. However, how these specific properties are processed in the neurocognitive system and interact with each other while economic decisions are made is not well understood. Here, we combined the ultimatum game with EEG technology, to investigate how alleged personality traits and the perceived facial attractiveness of proposers of fair and unfair offers influence their acceptance by the responders. As expected, acceptance rate was higher for fair than unfair allocations. Overall, responders were more likely to accept proposals from individuals with higher facial attractiveness and with more positive personality traits. In ERPs, words denoting negative personality traits elicited larger P2 components than positive trait words, and more attractive faces elicited larger LPC amplitudes. Replicating previous findings, FRN amplitudes were larger to unfair than to fair allocations. This effect was diminished if the proposer’s faces were attractive or associated with positive personality traits. Hence, facial attractiveness and the valence of personality traits seem to be evaluated independently and at different time points. Subsequent decision making about unfair offers is similarly influenced by high attractiveness and positive personality of the proposer, diminishing the negative response normally elicited by “unfair” proposals, possibly due a “reward” effect. In the ERPs to the proposals the effect of positive personality and attractiveness were seen in the FRN and P300 components but for positive personality traits the effect even preceded the FRN effect. Altogether, the present results indicate that both high facial attractiveness and alleged positive personality mitigate the effects of unfair proposals, with temporally overlapping but independent neurocognitive correlates.

Humans judge faces in incomplete photographs as physically more attractive

Attractive people are perceived to be healthier, wealthier, and more sociable. Yet, people often judge the attractiveness of others based on incomplete and inaccurate facial information. Here, we test the hypothesis that people fill in the missing information with positive inferences when judging others’ facial beauty. To test this hypothesis, we conducted seven experiments where participants judged the attractiveness of human faces in complete and incomplete photographs. Our data shows that—relative to complete photographs—participants judge faces in incomplete photographs as physically more attractive. This positivity bias is replicated for different types of incompleteness; is mostly specific to aesthetic judgments; is stronger for male participants; is specific to human faces when compared to pets, flowers, and landscapes; seems to involve a holistic processing; and is stronger for atypical faces. These findings contribute to our understanding of how people perceive and make inferences about others’ beauty.

When the smile is not enough: The interactive role of smiling and facial characteristics in forming judgments about trustworthiness and dominance

People often assess other people’s personality traits merely based on their emotional expression or the physical features of their faces. In this paper we review the evidence of biases when formulating judgments of trustworthiness and confidence from two types of facial characteristics. One line of evidence documents the influence of emotional expressions representing an individual’s motivational state and reflecting agents’ intentions. People’s judgment about the trustworthiness or attractiveness of others largely depends on the emotions expressed. The second line of evidence describes how facial appearance (e.g., cues of physical strength or resemblance to one’s own face) affects the inferences of personality traits. The two experiments described in this paper investi-gated the interplay between these two factors (i.e., facial features and emotional expression) and their combined influence on social judgments. We hypothesized and tested how both facial features conveying trustworthiness (vs. dominance) and a smiling (vs. neutral) expression influence judgments of trustworthiness and confidence (Study 1). We also tested the influence of facial resemblance in an interaction with a smiling individual when forming judgments (Study 2). We found that relatively static facial features conveying trust had more impact on judgments of trustworthiness than emotional expressions, yet emotional expressions seem to be more impactful for judgments of dominance. The results of both studies are discussed from a sociocognitive perspective.

Worse Than You Think: Positivity Bias in Evaluations of Human Facial Attractiveness

Attractive people are perceived to be healthier, wealthier, and more sociable. Yet, people often judge the attractiveness of others based on incomplete facial information. Here, we test the hypothesis that people fill in the missing information with positive inferences when judging others’ facial beauty. To test this hypothesis, we conducted five experiments where participants judged the attractiveness of human faces in complete and incomplete photographs. Our data shows that — relative to complete photographs — participants judge faces in incomplete photographs as physically more attractive. This positivity bias is: (i) replicated for different types of face incompleteness, (ii) mostly specific to aesthetic judgments, (iii) stronger for male participants, (iv) specific to human faces (as opposed to pets, flowers, and landscapes), (v) sensitive to participants’ prior expectations about the facial beauty of the people being evaluated, and, (vi) it involves a holistic processing of the faces.

Are narcissists more attracted to people in relationships than to people not in relationships?

Does grandiose narcissism predict greater attraction for others in relationships? We examined this question by replicating previous work implicating grandiose narcissists as mate poachers (Studies 1 and 2). We then used an experimental paradigm (Studies 3 and 4) to assess the extent to which grandiose narcissists indicate a greater interest in someone who is already in a relationship compared to someone who is single. Results suggest that although grandiose narcissism related to reports of more frequent mate poaching attempts, grandiose narcissists did not appear to be more interested in taking someone away from an existing relationship. Instead, participants took their own relationship status into consideration (rather than the relationship status of a target) when evaluating their interest in a target for a short-term fling or a long-term relationship. Thus, although grandiose narcissists report more frequent mate poaching attempts, they do not appear to be more interested in people in relationships compared to those who are single.

The view of pupils of the first stage on primary schools on physical attractiveness

A man since his birth is formed by society. It is a process of mutual acquaintance and building new relationships. With whom we enter into new relationship often depends on how we look at other people. It is up to every one whether to favour the personal (mental) or physical attractiveness of others when selecting friends and partners. The aim of this paper is to present the results of the research, which examines the view of children to physical attractiveness. The data were obtained through a questionnaire survey. The research took place at primary schools in the Olomouc region. The selected survey respondents were pupils in primary schools in the age range 9–11. This paper is a part of the wider context of the project currently being conducted in the Czech Republic at the Faculty of Education of the Palacky University in Olomouc IGA_PdF_2017_002. Keywords: Primary school, children, physical attractiveness, body mass index, obesity.

Effect of intentional mimicry on the attractiveness of others

Effect of intentional mimicry on the attractiveness of others

The effect of red color on perceived self‐attractiveness

AbstractRecent research showed that individuals are perceived as more attractive when presented with the color red. We seek to extend these findings by studying the effects of red color on individuals' perception of self‐attractiveness, rather than the attractiveness of others. Based on the color‐in‐context theory, we hypothesized that individuals would perceive themselves as more attractive under red chromatic conditions. In three experiments, participants were asked to wear a red or a blue shirt and rated their own attractiveness. As expected, participants in the red shirt condition indicated a higher level of self‐attractiveness than participants in the blue condition. Moreover, the results showed that the self‐perception red effect was mediated by the individuals' self‐perceived sexual receptivity and self‐perceived status.

Effects of human crowding and the physical attractiveness of others on customers in stores

ABSTRACTThis study examines how the physical attractiveness of other customers affects consumer emotions and behaviors in the context of human crowding in a fashion store. We propose that consumers’ store avoidance behaviors due to human crowding are affected by the physical attractiveness of other customers, and explain the mechanism as pleasure based on the S-O-R model. With a 2 (crowding level: high vs low) × 2 (physical attractiveness of other customers: high vs low) ANCOVA of 3D virtual stores, a lab experiment was conducted. Data from a total sample of 137 females was analyzed using SPSS 18.0. Analysis of variance and moderated mediation were performed. Results provide empirical insights about the interactive effect of store crowding and physical attractiveness of other customers on in-store customers’ avoidance behavior, which is mediated by pleasure. Findings enrich the existing literature on store crowding and provide both theoretical and managerial implications.

Consequences of Beauty: Effects of Rater Sex and Sexual Orientation on the Visual Exploration and Evaluation of Attractiveness in Real World Scenes.

One of the key behavioral effects of attractiveness is increased visual attention to attractive people. This effect is often explained in terms of evolutionary adaptations, such as attractiveness being an indicator of good health. Other factors could influence this effect. In the present study, we explored the modulating role of sexual orientation on the effects of attractiveness on exploratory visual behavior. Heterosexual and homosexual men and women viewed natural-looking scenes that depicted either two women or two men who varied systematically in levels of attractiveness (based on a pre-study). Participants’ eye movements and attractiveness ratings toward the faces of the depicted people were recorded. The results showed that although attractiveness had the largest influence on participants’ behaviors, participants’ sexual orientations strongly modulated the effects. With the exception of homosexual women, all participant groups looked longer and more often at attractive faces that corresponded with their sexual orientations. Interestingly, heterosexual and homosexual men and homosexual women looked longer and more often at the less attractive face of their non-preferred sex than the less attractive face of their preferred sex, evidence that less attractive faces of the preferred sex might have an aversive character. These findings provide evidence for the important role that sexual orientation plays in guiding visual exploratory behavior and evaluations of the attractiveness of others.

The influence of intelligence on the endorsement of the intelligence–attractiveness halo

While some theories emphasize the influence of the ‘attractiveness halo’ on perceptions of intelligence, empirical evidence suggests that perceptions of attractiveness themselves can be influenced by perceptions of other desired traits such as intelligence. In an educational context, the effect of impressions of intelligence on teachers' expectations of students gives them particular significance. Research on kin selection and cognitive biases highlight the possibility that intelligent people endorse the intelligence–attractiveness relationship more strongly than less intelligent people. We investigated how a perceiver's intelligence can influence the association between perceived intelligence and attractiveness of others. We asked 126 participants to rate 48 children's faces for perceived intelligence and attractiveness and then asked them to complete the International Cognitive Ability Resource (ICAR) intelligence test. Ratings by participants who scored higher on the intelligence test showed a stronger relationship between perceptions of intelligence and attractiveness than participants who scored lower on the intelligence test. This effect was significant even after controlling for differences in participants' scale use. These findings, while preliminary, illuminate an individual difference that influences perceptions of intelligence with potentially concerning implications regarding expectancy effects in educational settings.

Judging attractiveness: Biases due to raters’ own attractiveness and intelligence

AbstractTennis and Dabbs (1975) reported that physically attractive males showed a positivity bias when rating the attractiveness of others. The opposite pattern was observed for females. We attempted to replicate and extend these findings by: (1) using self-assessed attractiveness rather than the experimentally derived attractiveness measure used in previous research, (2) using face-to-face interactions with targets as opposed to using photographs, and (3) examining the effect of another ego-involving attribute: intelligence. Consistent with previous research, attractiveness judgments made by men, but not women, correlated positively with their own self-perceived level of attractiveness (r = .51, p < .001). Attractiveness judgments made by women, but not men, correlated negatively with their intelligence (r = −.32, p = .001). Judgments of attractiveness are thus biased by a rater’s own attributes (e.g. attractiveness and intelligence), but these effects are not generalizable across men and women raters, ...

AN EMBODIMENT PERSPECTIVE ON PROTECTION MOTIVATION THEORY: THE IMPACT OF INCIDENTAL WEIGHT SENSATIONS ON THREAT-APPRAISAL, COPING-APPRAISAL, AND PROTECTION MOTIVATION

IntroductionHealth research highlights myriad ways in which mind and body are closely intertwined (Bishop, 1994). Several cognitive processes constitute our motivation to behave healthily and hence build scaffold for health of mind and body. Accordingly, health psychology prevailingly focuses on mechanisms between mental processes and bodily behaviour (Matarazzo, 1980). However, previous research has neglected potential impact of basal bodily sensations on cognitions determining health motivation. This is surprising as theory of embodied cognition suggests a strong bidirectional relationship between bodily experiences and higher cognitive processes (Lee & Schwarz, 2012). Here, I will demonstrate that this concept is of particular importance for healthy behaviour. With regard to Protection Motivation Theory (PMT, Rogers, 1983), I present first effects of haptic sensations on those factors that constitute our motivation to behave healthily.Embodied Cognition and WeightAccording to theory of embodied cognition, higher cognitive processes are strongly linked to sensory and motor processes; that is, mind's activity is ingrained in body's interaction with world (e.g., Wilson, 2002; Kaspar, Konig, Schwandt, & Konig, 2014). Following this perspective, we should extend so far considered array of environmental inputs influencing one's protection motivation by taking basal bodily sensations into account. Research on healthy behaviour has heretofore neglected this possibility. In contrast to persuasive communications that are commonly used to positively influence motivation for healthier behaviour, effect of bodily experiences is much more direct, less ambiguous, and requires less cognitive evaluation (Lee & Schwarz, 2012).Current literature on embodied cognition postulates that cognition is grounded on bodily states. According to a developmental perspective, sensorimotor experiences early in life serve as a foundation for later learning of more abstract concepts. Williams, Huang, and Bargh (2009) labelled this phenomenon as scaffolding because humans readily integrate incoming information with extant knowledge structures (p. 1257). Children learn that interaction with heavy objects requires more physical effort and more cognitive planning than dealing with light objects (Jostmann, Lakens, & Schubert, 2009). The repeated experience of characteristics early in life then provides a scaffold for later development of abstract concepts such as seriousness, importance, and potency. It is assumed that such established associations between specific sensorimotor sensations and higher cognitive processes do not evaporate over time (Ackerman, Nocera, & Bargh, 2010). Hence, bodily experience of simultaneously stimulates physical sensations and associated cognitive concepts. Everyday language indeed includes phrases expressing this established relationship such as idiom the gravity of situation (Ackerman et al., 2010) or an issue that carries weight (Schneider, Rutjens, Jostmann, & Lakens, 2011). Accordingly, several authors refer to conceptual metaphor theory (Lakoff& Johnson, 1980) postulating that abstract concepts are represented in a conceptual system by concrete bodily metaphors. This idea also implies that effect of a specific bodily sensation does not generalize to all abstract cognitions but is limited to those cognitive domains that are conceptually linked to a specific embodied information (Ackerman et al., 2010; Kaspar, 2013).Recent studies on effects provided evidence for this embodiment perspective. The haptic sensation of heaviness, compared to lightness, increased evaluation of a job candidate's potency and seriousness (Ackerman et al., 2010), perceived importance of fair decision-making procedures (Jostmann et al., 2009), importance of visual attractiveness of others (Kaspar & Krull, 2013), and importance of a book's content (Chandler, Reinhard, & Schwarz, 2012). …

Empathy is a beautiful thing: Empathy predicts imitation only for attractive others

Research shows that we spontaneously imitate people. Moreover, empathy predicts the degree of this non-conscious imitation. Little is known, however, if or how this expression of empathy is influenced by stable physical characteristics of our interaction-partners. In two studies, we tested whether attractiveness of others moderated the relation between empathy and imitation. While seeing a woman performing joystick movements, participants either imitated, or non-imitated these movements. Results showed that the higher participants empathy score, the faster they imitated an attractive person. The level of empathy did not predict the degree of imitation of unattractive targets. The findings demonstrate that the expression of empathy through imitation can be moderated by attractiveness, thereby introducing a new dimension to the conditionality of empathy.

Face Color and Sexual Attractiveness

Skin color is one of the first features that we notice in another person and, therefore, it plays a significant role in the mate selection process as well as in the assessments of attractiveness of others. However, almost all modern research showing a preference for lighter skin tone (particularly in women) was conducted within populations of relatively light skin color. The current study was conducted among the Yali people, who are dark-skinned and native to the isolated highlands of West Papua. We found that for both males ( n = 53) and females ( n = 53) preferred skin tone was either average or slightly lighter than the average. At the same time, we found that the male preference for lighter skin tone in females was correlated with contact with other cultures. We discuss our results in the context of social and biological theories explaining skin tone preferences.

Asexuality and Autochorissexualism (Identity-Less Sexuality)

I present evidence that target-oriented paraphilias may occur in some who report no sexual attraction for others or those who identify as asexual. One target-oriented paraphilia in some asexual people is a disconnection between their identity and a sexual target/object. I name this phenomenon autochorissexualism or "identity-less" sexuality.

Self-face evaluation and self-esteem in young females: An fMRI study using contrast effect

Self-evaluation is affected by facial attractiveness, particularly in females, and may be related to self-esteem. Self-face evaluation is relative to the attractiveness of others ("contrast effect"). In this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, we examined both the neural correlates of self-face evaluation using the contrast effect and a neural relationship between self-face evaluation and self-esteem. We prepared the following three types of "target faces": one's own face (S), a close friend's face (F), and an unfamiliar face (O). They were randomly intermingled among same-sex unfamiliar foils during two block-types. Our intention was to evoke positive evaluations of target faces using unattractive foils in one block-type, and negative evaluations using attractive foils in the other. The posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) exhibited greater activation from the positive modulation for S than for O. Activation in these regions was positively correlated with self-esteem and showed the same tendency between S and F. PCC and VTA, which have been implicated in the processing of self-relatedness and reward, respectively, might play a role in the processing of positive self-face evaluation as self-referential stimuli and social rewards, respectively. These results suggested that the PCC and the VTA are the neural correlates of positive self-face evaluation, and that there is a neural relationship between self-face evaluation and self-esteem. The positive evaluation of a close friend's face might be perceived and processed in the same way as one's own face.

India’s Soft Power

India seems to qualify as a soft power by default with her democratic tradition, Mahatma Gandhi with his concept of non-violence and peaceful conflict mediation as national hero and Bollywood as a quasiglobal dream fabric. The high economic growth rates since the liberalisation in 1991 have increased India’s international attractiveness. India uses her soft power capacities mainly for image building rather than as an instrument to exert influence. India can therefore be qualified as a defensive soft power that puts a stronger emphasis on its capacities rather than the capabilities. In contrast to the United States (US), the European Union (EU) and China, Indian foreign policy makers do not perceive their own political model as an attraction for others. It is regarded as an asset that is promoted to increase India’s attractiveness for foreign investors. Using the soft power capacities as a strategy would also require a domestic debate how to strike a balance between national interests, on the one hand, and political norms and values, on the other hand.

I'm Hot, So I'd Say You're Not: The Influence of Objective Physical Attractiveness on Mate Selection

Four studies investigated the importance of objective and subjective attributes to mate selection. This research tested whether perceivers' objective physical attractiveness influenced how they evaluated the physical attractiveness of others and, if considered, may provide a parsimonious account for matching in mate selection. Study 1 (N = 102) demonstrated that ratings of targets' attractiveness decreased as perceivers' objective physical attractiveness increased. Studies 2 (N = 89) and 3 (N = 68) revealed that as perceivers' objective physical attractiveness increased, reductions in expected satisfaction and rejection were mediated by perceivers' reduced assessments of targets' attractiveness. Study 4 (N = 114) produced patterns of matching by finding that attractive perceivers expected to date more attractive targets while unattractive perceivers expected to date less attractive targets. This research emphasizes the importance of objective physical attractiveness to target evaluations and describes how matching results from the combined influence of objective and subjective attributes.

One woman's behavior affects the attractiveness of others

Previous research has shown that viewing photos of highly attractive women adversely affects men's evaluations of more typical women and of their own romantic partners. We could not replicate these results, but induced similar effects by showing participants an innocuous mock video interview of an opposite-sex stranger. Mated men's ratings of their partners and unattached men's ratings of other women were both lower if the interviewee had smiled and acted warmly than if she seemed uninterested, whereas women exhibited no such effects of watching a male interviewee. The results support the hypothesis that perceptions of attractiveness function to assist effective allocation of mating effort, not only in response to the relative quality of potential courtship targets but also in response to behavioral predictors of positive outcome.