Physical
attractiveness refers to
the perception of an
individual as physically
beautiful by other
people. Some aspects of how
a person is judged beautiful
are universal to all
cultures, whereas others are
restricted to particular
cultures or time periods.
Physical attractiveness can
have a huge effect on how
people are judged — people
tend to attribute positive
characteristics such as
intelligence and honesty to
attractive people without
consciously realizing it.
Physical attractiveness
is distinct from sexual
attractiveness. For example,
people often regard children
— both human and animal — as
being highly physically
attractive or 'cute'
because of their relatively
large eyes, but without
sexual attraction.
Judgment of Physical
Attractiveness
One's own
culture has a strong
effect in determining who a
person considers as
physically attractive. As
children grow up, they learn
what their culture considers
attractive. Movies and
cartoons, frequently portray
the villain as being ugly,
whereas the protagonist is
depicted as attractive.
Children are shown examples
of what is considered as
beauty, in the form of dolls
and pictures on magazine
covers. Perception of what
is considered as attractive
and appealing is also very
heavily influenced by other
dominant cultures and the
impact of its value system.
Universal Correlates of
Beauty
That said, cultures tend
to agree on what is
attractive. There is a
strong correlation between
judgements of attractiveness
between cultures.
Furthermore, infants, who
presumably have not yet been
affected by culture, tend to
prefer the same faces
considered attractive by
adults. This implies that a
large part of attractiveness
is determined by inborn
human nature, not nurture.
Waist-Hip Ratio and
Female Attractiveness
Strong correlations
between attractiveness and
particular physical
properties have been found,
across cultures. One of the
more important properties is
symmetry, which is also
associated with physical
health. Large clear eyes are
also important.
In women, a
waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)
of about 0.7 (waist
circumference that is 70% of
the
hips circumference), is
typically considered very
attractive.
Physiologists have shown that this ratio
accurately indicates most women's fertility.
Proportion of
Body Mass
to Body Structure
The
Body Mass Index (BMI) is
the most important and most
universal determinant of the
perception of beauty. The
BMI refers to the proportion
of the body mass to the body
structure. However, in
various cultures the optimal
body proportion is
interpreted differently due
to cultural learnings and
traditions. The Western
ideal considers a slim and
slender body mass as optimal
while many ancient
traditions and Asian
societies considers an
embonpoint or plump body-mass as
appealing. In either case
the underlying rule applied
in determining beauty is the
BMI and hence displays how
cultural differences of
beauty operate on universal
principles of human
evolution.
The slim ideal does not
consider an anorexic body as
attractive just as the
full-rounded ideal does not
celebrate the over-weight or
the obese. The cultural
leanings are therefore just
social emphasis on specific
phenotypes within a
parameter of optimal BMI.
The attraction for a
proportionate body also
influences an appeal for
erect posture.
Proto-typicality as
Beauty
Besides biology and
culture, there are other
factors determining physical
attractiveness. The more
familiar a face seems, the
more highly it is judged, an
example of the
mere exposure effect. It
is seen that when many faces
are combined into a
composite image (through
computer morphing), people
find the resultant image as
familiar and attractive, and
even more beautiful than the
faces that went into it.
One
interpretation is that this
shows an inherent human
preference for proto-typicality. That is,
the resultant face emerges
with the salient features
shared by most faces and
hence becomes the prototype.
The prototypical face and
features is therefore
perceived as symmetrical and
familiar. This reveals an
"underlying preference for
the familiar and safe over
the unfamiliar and
potentially dangerous"
(Berscheid and Reis, 1998).
However, critics of this
interpretation point out
that compositing computer
images also has the effect
of removing skin blemishes
such as scars and generally
softens sharp facial
features.
Classical conceptions of
beauty are essentially a
celebration of this
prototypicality. It
celebrates the
extra-ordinary (from the
latin root meaning over
or extremely-ordinary)
as the prototype or most
beautiful.
The phenotype of ones own
mother during the early
years of childhood, becomes
the basis for the perception
of optimal body mass index
(BMI). This shows the
importance of
prototypicality in the
judgment of beauty and also
explains the emergence of
similarity of the perception
of attractiveness within a
community or society, which
shares a
gene pool.
Other Determinants of
Female Beauty
Although it is said that
“beauty is in the eye of the
beholder”, studies have
shown that there are many
other universal or
near-universal qualities
which make human females
attractive to males. In
addition to the predictors
of good health and
reproductive fitness, these
include facial features
which may stimulate the male
sexual response by their
resemblance to aroused
female genital areas, and
features which resemble
those of human infants, who
are universally appealing to
both sexes of a species.
Among these other
determinants are:
-
Symmetry of
features: an indicator
of lack of disease or
injury
-
Clear complexion:
indicator of health
-
Contrasting colors
and features: such as
well-delineated
eyebrows, dark lashes,
dark eyes/light face or
light eyes/dark face;
these heighten the
features of attraction,
perhaps a holdover from
primitive forebears with
less acute vision
-
Large, symmetrical,
white teeth: indicator
of reproductive vigor
and ability to defend
young; also health and
contrast
-
Prominent zygomas
(cheek bones),
especially with a blush
of color: paired,
rounded forms,
especially if pigmented,
stimulate the same male
response as the flushed
buttocks of simian
females in mating
position
-
Thick, vivid lips:
as for #5, the genital
parallel is inescapable
-
Large, widely spaced
eyes: paired, rounded
forms; also similar to a
baby’s appearance
-
Upturned nose
revealing nostril
openings: combination of
paired, rounded forms
with resemblance to
baby’s appearance
-
Ovoid face, small
chin, lack of facial
hair: similar to a
baby’s appearance
-
Thick, lustrous
hair: except as
indicator of health, a
poorly understood
determinant
-
Soft, higher pitched
voice: indicator of
non-maleness;
submissiveness
Determinants of
Male
Physical Attractiveness
In the perception of
male attractiveness by
the
female amongst
humans, the single most
important aspect determining
physical attractiveness
across cultures is the
physique of the male.
For the
woman, the man should
have slight to pronounced
muscles in order to be
perceived as handsome. It
would be preferable if the
man is at least a little
above the average in height
in the given population of
males. A strong jaw,
non-feminine hands and feet,
and a deep voice are as
important as the physique.
Women look for signs of
ability to take on multiple
tasks, and strength as
factors that determine male
beauty. Other properties
that enhance perception of
male attractiveness are a
slightly larger chest than
the average, and an
erect posture. Women
seem more receptive to an
erect posture than men,
though both prefer it as an
element of beauty. In
Western cultures, too much
body hair can seem
effeminate, while in other
cultures it is seen as a
boost to a masculine
appearance.
When a person is seen as
attractive or unattractive,
a whole set of assumptions
are brought into play.
Across cultures, what is
beautiful is assumed to be
good. Attractive people are
assumed to be more
extroverted, popular, and
happy. There is truth in
this — attractive people do
tend to have these
characteristics. However,
this is probably due to
self-fulfilling prophecy;
from a young age attractive
people receive more
attention that helps them
develop positive
characteristics.
Physical attractiveness
can have very real effects.
A survey conducted by
London Guildhall University
of 11,000 people showed that
physically attractive people
earn more. Less attractive
people earned, on average,
13% less than more
attractive people, while the
penalty for being overweight
was around 5%.
Interestingly, cultures
differ in the details of how
attractive people are seen.
In capitalist cultures that
value individuality,
attractive people are seen
as assertive and strong,
while in some more
collectivistic Asian
cultures, attractive people
are seen as being more
sensitive and understanding.
Both men and women use
physical attractiveness as a
measure of how 'good'
another person is. Typically
men tend to value
attractiveness more than
women, and for some women
personality can be more
important. But in terms of
behavior, most studies have
shown very little difference
between men and women.
