World of Psychology

Physical beauty involves more than just good looks

By John M Grohol PsyD
April 19, 2004

There is more to beauty than meets the stranger’s eye, according to results from three studies examining the influence of non-physical traits on people’s perception of physical attractiveness. The results, which show that people perceive physical appeal differently when they look at those they know versus strangers, are published in the recently released March issue of Evolution and Human Behavior.

In many studies evaluating physical attractiveness, people are often shown an array of strangers’ photos, computer-generated images or line drawings and asked to identify which ones, based on differences in physical features, are most attractive. Results from these studies suggest that physically attractive traits include high degrees of bilateral facial symmetries, such as eyes that are identical in shape and size, and waist-to-hip ratios of 0.7 for women and 0.9 for men.


1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (2 votes, average: 1.5 out of 5)
Loading ... Loading ...

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Join the Conversation! Post a Comment:


(Required, will be published)

(Required, but will not be published)

(Optional)


    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 19 Apr 2004

 


Recent Comments
  • Tom: These two are apparently suckers for internet business in general. In episode 10 they put $600,000 down on...
  • Jennifer Zilliac: I somewhat wish I had left off the beginning of my post about whether this “belongs” on...
  • Scott Volltrauer: I enjoyed this article and saved it for a client. I felt that she would appreciate it’s...
  • Dee: Bonnie, I am sorry if you feel like anything I have said hurts you. This is not my intention. I do feel for you...
  • Allison: It IS unethical for a therapist to drop you without notice. A therapist *supposedly) is trained to handle...
Article Tools
Bookmark
Print
Email Friend


Stumble It!


Subscribe to Our Weekly Newsletter


Users Online: 1666
Join Us Now!




Follow us on Twitter!

Find us on Facebook!