PSYC14H3 Chapter 11: PSYC14 - Chapter 11 Notes
Document Summary
Looking at the way people from different cultures decorate themselves or adorn their bodies gives us a window into what they find attractive. Support for darwin"s friend"s observation: despite the various different ways that humans from different cultures use to make their bodies more physically appealing, there are certain universals in what humans perceive as attractive. Universal characteristics of attractive faces: clean complexion. Clearer skin seen as more attractive than skin that is not clear. Evolutionary reasoning: healthier individuals have clearer skin. Blotches, rashes and sores could be useful indicators about the presence of health issues, parasites and disease --> this indicator was probably useful to our ancestors in the ancestral environment. Preference for clear skin became common in our gene pool. We are most attracted to people who have a symmetrical body --> left sides of their faces and bodies look identical to their right sides. Bilateral symmetry an indicator of developmental stability: average.
