Page 389 - The Social Animal

Liking, Loving, and Interpersonal Sensitivity 371

30
ples at UCLA. White found that physical attractiveness was an im-
portant factor; but in this situation it was the similarity of the attrac-
tiveness of the members of the couple that was crucial in determining
whether a relationship had staying power. Specifically, some 9
months after the couples started dating, those who were well
matched in terms of rated physical attractiveness were more deeply
involved with each other than those who differed from each other in
physical attractiveness.
What is clear from these studies of dating couples is that, in one
way or another, physical attractiveness plays an important role in de-
termining who likes whom in both the short run and the long run.
Moreover, these studies indicate that there are clear cultural stan-
dards for physical attractiveness, at least in the United States, where
most of this research has been done. Raters had no difficulty judg-
ing people on physical attractiveness. And the raters agreed with one
another—that is, the ratings were highly reliable. Moreover, all other
things being equal, people’s physical attractiveness not only helps us
predict whether others will want to date them, but also influences a
wide range of attributions. For example, in one study, Karen Dion
and her colleaguesshowed college students photographs of three col-
lege-age people. The photos were especially selected for differing
31
degrees of attractiveness: One was attractive, one average, and one
unattractive. The participants were asked to rate each of the people
depicted in these photographs on 27 different personality traits and
to predict their future happiness. The physically attractive people
were assigned by far the most desirable traits and the greatest prog-
nosis for happiness. This was true whether men were rating men,
men rating women, women rating men, or women rating women.
Does it surprise you to learn that most people seem to agree on
both the physical characteristics and the concomitant personality
traits of so-called beautiful people? Perhaps it shouldn’t. Preferences
for pretty faces may to some degree be hardwired; even babies appear
to prefer faces that are symmetrical to those that are not. 32 But cul-
tural imagery surely reinforces and magnifies these preferences. From
early childhood experiences we learn that a specific definition of
beauty is associated with goodness. Walt Disney’s movies and the il-
lustrators of children’s books have taught us that gentle and charm-
ing heroines like Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty—as
well as the princes who charm and win them—all look alike. They