PSYC2040 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Physical Attractiveness, Facial Symmetry, Social Exchange Theory
17 Jun 2018
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PSYC2040 NOTES
COLOUR KEY
Key definitions
Functions, processes and components
Important points
Lecture 5 - Love and Attraction
Proximity
●We like the ones we are geographically close to due to
○Laws of probability - you can’t fall in love with someone you’ve never met
■Study: students who happen to sit together in the first class are likely to
be friends a year later
○Mere exposure - the more you’re exposed to something, the more you like it
■Unless you already dislike it
○Attributional ambiguity - getting to know each other in a non-threatening way
■Study: participants who believed they were participating in a study about
rating movies were led into a room with two screens and two chairs in
front of them with an attractive woman sitting in one of the chairs; in one
condition the movies on both screens are the same and in the other
condition the movies are different
●When the movies were different, 75% sat next to the woman
because they had an excuse to (“This is the movie I want to
watch”)
●When the movies were the same, only 25% sat next to her
Physical attractiveness
●Trends in physical attractiveness
○Mothers are more attentive to babies that are (objectively) more attractive
○Newborn babies spend more time looking at attractive faces
○Good-looking children are more popular and better rated by teachers
○Good-looking people have more dates and are marginally more likely to get
married
○Good-looking people get lighter sentences for crimes
○Taller men are seen to be smarter, have more leadership potential and earn
more money
●Despite all these, there is no relationship between good looks, self-esteem and
happiness
Document Summary
We like the ones we are geographically close to due to. Laws of probability - you can"t fall in love with someone you"ve never met. Study: students who happen to sit together in the first class are likely to be friends a year later. Study: participants who believed they were participating in a study about. Mere exposure - the more you"re exposed to something, the more you like it. When the movies were different, 75% sat next to the woman because they had an excuse to ((cid:396)this is the movie i want to watch(cid:397)) When the movies were the same, only 25% sat next to her. Mothers are more attentive to babies that are (objectively) more attractive. Newborn babies spend more time looking at attractive faces. Good-looking children are more popular and better rated by teachers. Good-looking people have more dates and are marginally more likely to get. Good-looking people get lighter sentences for crimes.
