510
Views
0
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Research Articles

What influences judgments of physical attractiveness? A comprehensive perspective with implications for mental health

ORCID Icon, & ORCID Icon
Pages 42-61 | Received 24 Nov 2022, Accepted 23 Jan 2023, Published online: 02 Feb 2023

References

  • Albada, K. F., Knapp, M. L., & Theune, K. E. (2002). Interaction appearance theory: Changing perceptions of physical attractiveness through social interaction. Communication Theory, 12(1), 8–­40. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2885.2002.tb00257.x
  • Apostolou, M., & Christoforou, C. (2020). The art of flirting: What are the traits that make it effective? Personality and Individual Differences, 158, 109866. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2020.109866
  • Au, A. K. Y., & Chen, S. X. (2019). Filial piety and intimate relationships in East Asia. In C. T. Hill (Ed.), Intimate relationships across cultures: A comparative study (pp. 25–29). Cambridge University Press.
  • Bale, C., & Archer, J. (2013). Self-perceived attractiveness, romantic desirability, and self-esteem: A mating sociometer perspective. Evolutionary Psychology, 11(1), 68–84.
  • Barelds, D. P. H., Dijkstra, P., Koudenburg, N., & Swami, V. (2011). An assessment of positive illusions of physical attractiveness of romantic partners. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 28(5), 706–­719. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407510385492
  • Batres, C., & Shiramizu, V. (2022, March 7). Examining the "attractiveness halo effect" across cultures. Current Psychology, 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-03575-0
  • Baumeister, R. F., & Wotman, S. R. (1994). Breaking hearts: The two sides of unrequited love. Guilford Press.
  • Berscheid, E. (1995). Help wanted: A grand theorist of interpersonal relationships, sociologist or anthropologist preferred. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 12(4), 529–533. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407595124005
  • Berscheid, E., & Walster, E. (1974). Physical attractiveness. In Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 7, pp. 157–215). Academic Press.
  • Buss, D. (1989). Sex differences in human mate preferences: Evolutionary hypotheses tested in 37 cultures. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 12(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X00023992
  • Byrne, D. (1971). The attraction paradigm. Academic Press.
  • Collins, A. A., & Missing, C. (2003). Vocal and visual attractiveness are related in women. Animal Behaviour, 65(5), 997–1004. https://doi.org/10.1006/anbe.2003.2123
  • Cooley, C. H. (1922). Human Nature and the Social Order. Charles Scribner’s Son.
  • Cunningham, M. R. (1986). Measuring the physical in physical attractiveness: Quasi-experiments on the sociobiology of female facial beauty. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 50(5), 925–935. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.50.5.925
  • Cunningham, M. R., Barbee, A. P., & Pike, C. L. (1990). What do women want? Facialmetric assessment of multiple motives in the perception of male facial physical attractiveness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59(1), 61–72. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.59.1.61
  • Dermer, M., & Thiel, D. L. (1975). When beauty may fail. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 31(6), 1168–1176. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0077085
  • Diener, E., Wolsic, B., & Fujita, F. (1995). Physical attractiveness and subjective well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69(1), 120–129. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.69.1.120
  • Dijkstra, P., & Barelds, D. P. H. (2011). Women’s meta – perceptions of attractiveness and their relations to body image. Body Image, 8(1), 74–­77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2010.09.007
  • Dion, K., Berscheid, E., & Walster, E. (1972). What is beautiful is good. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 24(3), 285–290. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0033731
  • Dundon, C. M., & Rellini, A. H. (2012). Emotional states of love moderate the associations between catecholamines and female sexual responses in the laboratory. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 9(10), 2617–2630. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2012.02799.x
  • Eagly, A. H., Ashmore, R. D., Makhijani, M. G., & Longo, L. C. (1991). What is beautiful is good, but…: A meta-analytic review of research on the physical attractiveness stereotype. Psychological Bulletin, 110(1), 109–128. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.110.1.109
  • Feingold, A. (1988). Matching for attractiveness in romantic partners and same-sex friends: A meta-analysis and theoretical critique. Psychological Bulletin, 104(2), 226–235. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.104.2.226
  • Feingold, A. (1992a). Gender differences in mate selection preferences: A test of the parental investment model. Psychological Bulletin, 112(1), 125–139. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.112.1.125
  • Feingold, A. (1992b). Good-­looking people are not what we think. Psychological Bulletin, 111(2), 304–­341. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.111.2.304
  • Felson, R. B., & Bohrnstedt, G. W. (1979). “Are the good beautiful or the beautiful good?” The relationship between children’s perceptions of ability and perceptions of physical attractiveness. Social Psychology Quarterly, 42(4), 386–392. https://doi.org/10.2307/3033808
  • Frederick, D., Peplau, L., & Lever, J. (2006). The swimsuit issue: Correlates of body image in a sample of 52,677 heterosexual adults. Body Image, 3(4), 413–419. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2006.08.002
  • Fromm, E. (1956). The art of loving. Harper & Row.
  • Goldman, W., & Lewis, P. (1977). Beautiful is good: Evidence that the physically attractive are more socially skillful. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 13, 125–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-1031(77)80005-X
  • Greitemeyer, T. (2020). Unattractive people are unaware of their (un)attractiveness. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 61(4), 471–483. https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12631
  • Gross, A. E., & Crofton, C. (1977). What is good is beautiful. Sociometry, 40(1), 85–90. https://doi.org/10.2307/3033549
  • Groyecka, A., Pisanski, K., Sorokowska, A., Havliček, J., Karwowski, M., Puts, D., Roberts, S. C., & Sorokowski, P. (2017). Attractiveness in multimodal: Beauty is also in the nose and ear of the beholder. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 778. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00778
  • Gunderson, M. P., & McCary, J. L. (1979). Sexual guilt and religion. The Family Coordinator, 28(3), 353–357. https://doi.org/10.2307/581948
  • Gurman, E. B., & Balban, M. (1990). Self evaluation of physical attractiveness as a function of self-esteem and defensiveness. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 5(6), 575–580.
  • Hall, J. A. (2015). Sexual selection and humor in courtship: A case for warmth and extroversion. Evolutionary Psychology, 13(3), 147470491559891–147470491559810. https://doi.org/10.1177/1474704915598918
  • Hatfield, E., & Sprecher, S. (1986). Mirror, mirror: The importance of looks in everyday life. SUNY Press.
  • Hazan, C., & Shaver, P. R. (1987). Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52(3), 511–524. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.52.3.511
  • Hill, C. T. (2019). Intimate relationships across cultures: A comparative study. Cambridge University Press.
  • Hill, C. T. (2021). Correlates of love across relationship types and cultural regions. In C.-H. Mayer & E. Venderheiden (Eds.), International handbook of love. Transcultural and transdiciplinary perspectives (pp. 543–566). Springer.
  • Hill, C. T. (2022). Prejudice, identity and well-being: Voices of diversity among college students. Routledge.
  • Hill, C. T., & Peplau, L. A. (1998). Premarital predictors of relationship outcomes: A 15-year follow-up of the Boston Couples Study. In T. N. Bradbury (Ed.), The developmental course of marital dysfunction (pp. 237–278). Cambridge University Press.
  • Hill, C. T., Peplau, L. A., & Rubin, Z. (2008). Is love blind? Attractiveness ratings by self, partner, and others, and the outcome of dating relationships 25 years later [Paper presentation]. International Congress of Psychology, Berlin, Germany.
  • Hill, C. T., Rubin, Z., & Peplau, L. A. (1976). Breakups before marriage: The end of 103 affairs. Journal of Social Issues, 32(1), 147–168. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.1976.tb02485.x
  • Hill, C. T., Rubin, Z., Peplau, L. A., & Willard, S. G. (1979). The volunteer couple: Sex differences, couple commitment, and participation in research on interpersonal relationships. Social Psychology Quarterly, 42(4), 415–420. https://doi.org/10.2307/3033813
  • Horton, T. (2003). Similarity and attractiveness in social perception: Differentiating between biases for the self and the beautiful. Self and Identity, 2(2), 137–152. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298860309033
  • Jankowiak, W., Gray, P., & Hattman, K. (2008). Globalizing evolution: Female choice, nationality, and perception of sexual beauty in China. Cross-Cultural Research, 42(3), 248–269. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069397108317672
  • Kakabadse, A., & Kakabadse, N. (2004). Intimacy: An international survey of the sex lives of people at work. Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Kaufman-Parks, A. M., Longmore, M. A., Giordano, P. C., & Manning, W. D. (2019). Inducing jealousy and intimate partner violence among young adults. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 36(9), 2802–2823. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407518802451
  • Kingham, M., & Gordon, H. (2004). Aspects of morbid jealousy. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 10(3), 207–215. https://doi.org/10.1192/apt.10.3.207
  • Kościński, K. (2011). How do pairs matched in physical attractiveness form if people are unaware of their own attractiveness? Anthropological Review, 74, 69–85. https://doi.org/10.2478/v10044-010-0007-y
  • Langford, J., & Clance, P. R. (1993). The imposter phenomenon: Recent research findings regarding dynamics, personality and family patterns and their implications for treatment. Psychotherapy, 30(3), 495–501. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-3204.30.3.495
  • Langlois, J. H., & Roggman, L. A. (1990). Attractive faces are only average. Psychological Science, 1(2), 115–121. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.1990.tb00079.x
  • Langlois, J. H., Kalakanis, L., Rubenstein, A. J., Larson, A., Hallam, M., & Smoot, M. (2000). Maxims or myths of beauty? A meta-analytic and theoretical review. Psychological Bulletin, 126(3), 390–423. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.126.3.390
  • Lewandowski, G. W., Aron, A., & Gee, J. (2007). Personality goes a long way: The malleability of opposite-sex physical attractiveness. Personal Relationships, 14(4), 571–585. 10.1111/j.1475-6811.2007.00172.x
  • Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370–396. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0054346
  • Mehrabian, A., & Blum, J. S. (2003). Physical appearance, attractiveness, and the mediating role of emotions. In N. J. Pallone (Ed.), Love, romance, sexual interaction: Research perspectives from current psychology (pp. 1–29). Transaction Publishers.
  • Miller, R. S., & Perlman, D. (2009). Intimate relationships (5th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
  • Mills, J. S., Shannon, A., & Hogue, J. (2017). Beauty, body image, and the media. In M. P. Levine (Ed.), Perception of beauty. IntechOpen. https://www.intechopen.com/books/perception-of-beauty/beauty-body-image-and-the-media
  • Moberg, K. U. (2003). The oxytocin factor: Tapping the hormone of calm, love, and healing. De Capo Press.
  • Montoya, R. M. (2008). I'm hot, so I'd say you’re not: The influence of objective physical attractiveness on mate selection. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 34(10), 1315–1331. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167208320387
  • Morse, S. J., Gruzen, J., & Reus, H. (1976). The "eye of the beholder": A neglected variable in the study of physical attractiveness. Journal of Personality, 44(2), 209–225. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.1976.tb00119.x
  • Nedegaard, R. (2016). Overcoming imposter syndrome: How my students trained me to teach them. Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping, 22(4), 52–59.
  • Parish, W. L., Laumann, E. O., & Mojol, S. A. (2007). Sexual behavior in China: Trends and comparisons. Population and Development Review, 33(4), 729–756. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1728-4457.2007.00195.x
  • Patzer, G. L. (1985). The physical attractiveness phenomena. Plennum Press. Reprinted 2012 by Springer Science & Business Media.
  • Pendergrast, M. (2003). Mirror mirrror: A history of the human love affair with reflection. Basic Books.
  • Peplau, L. A., Rubin, Z., & Hill, C. T. (1977). Sexual intimacy in dating couples. Journal of Social Issues, 33(2), 86–109. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.1977.tb02007.x
  • Peplau, L. A., & Perlman, D. (Eds.) (1982). Loneliness: A sourcebook of current theory, research and therapy. New York: Wiley-Interscience.
  • Puhl, R. M., & Peterson, J. L. (2012). Physical appearance and stigma. Encyclopedia of Body Image and Human Appearance, 2, 588–594.
  • Putri, A. (2021, February 9). Beauty is pain: Eurocentric beauty standards in Asia. The California Aggie. https://theaggie.org/2021/02/09/beauty-is-pain-eurocentric-beauty- standards-in-asia
  • Reis, H. T., Wheeler, L., Spiegel, N., Kernis, M. H., Nezlek, J., & Perri, M. (1982). Physical attractiveness in social interaction: II. Why does appearance affect social experience? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 43(5), 979–996. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.43.5.979
  • Ritzenhoff, K. A., & Randell, K. (2012). Screening the dark side of love. Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Rodrigues, M. R. (2021). Embodied critical analysis: Exploring the impact of systematic oppression on Black, public school educators through supervisor relationships [PhD dissertation]. Lesley University.
  • Rohner, R. P. (2021). Introduction to Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Theory (IPAR Theory) and evidence. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 6(1), 4. https://doi.org/10.9707/2307-0919.1055
  • Rosenthal, R., & Jacobson, L. (1968). Pygmalion in the classroom: Teacher expectation and pupils’ intellectual development. Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
  • Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton University Press.
  • Rubin, Z., & Peplau, L. A. (1975). Who believes in a just world? Journal of Social Issues, 31(3), 65–89. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.1975.tb00997.x
  • Rubin, Z. (1970). Measurement of romantic love. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 16(2), 265–273. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0029841
  • Schug, J., Alt, N. P., Lu, P. S., Gosin, M., & Fay, J. L. (2017). Gendered race in mass media: Invisibility of Asian men and Black women in popular magazines. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 6(3), 222–236. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000096
  • Scott, G. G. (2014). More than friends: Popularity on Facebook and its role in impression formation. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 19(3), 358–372. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcc4.12067
  • Slade, P., & Brodie, D. (1994). Body-image distortion and eating disorder: A reconceptualization base on the recent literature. European Eating Disorders Review, 2(1), 32–46. https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.2400020105
  • Snyder, M., Tanke, E. D., & Berscheid, E. (1977). Social perception and interpersonal behavior: On the self-fulfilling nature of social stereotypes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 35(9), 656–666. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.35.9.656
  • Steele, C. M. (2011). Whistling Vivaldi: How stereotypes affect us and what can we do? W. W. Norton and Company.
  • Sternberg, R. (1986). A triangular theory of love. Psychological Review, 93(2), 119–135. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.93.2.119
  • Stuart, D. B. (2021). “No shadow of another parting”: Unrequited love, stalking, and Dicken’s rejected men. Dickens Quarterly, 38(4), 429–451. https://doi.org/10.1353/dqt.2021.0041
  • Swami, V., Inamdar, S., Stieger, S., Nader, I. W., Pietschnig, J., Tran, U. S., & Voracek, M. (2012). A dark side of positive illusions? Associations between the love-is-blind bias and the experience of jealousy. Personality and Individual Differences, 53(6), 796–800. 10.1016/j.paid.2012.06.004
  • Swami, V., & Furnham, A. (2007). The psychology of physical attraction. Routledge.
  • Swami, V., Furnham, A., Georgiades, C., & Pang, L. (2007). Evaluating self and physical attractiveness. Body image, 4(1), 97–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2006.10.003
  • Swami, V., Stieger, S., Haubner, T., Voracek, M., & Furnham, A. (2009). Evaluating the physical attractiveness of oneself and one’s romantic partner: Individual and relationship correlates of the Love-Is-Blind bias. Journal of Individual Differences, 35(1), 35–43. DOI https://doi.org/10.1027/1614-0001.30.1.35
  • Swami, V., Waters, L., & Furnham, A. (2010). Perceptions and meta-perceptions of self and partner physical attractiveness. Personality and Individual Differences, 49(7), 811–814. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2010.06.011
  • Thorndike, E. L. (1920). A constant error in psychological ratings. Journal of Applied Psychology, 4(1), 25–29. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0071663
  • Wirtz, D., Biswas-Diner, R., Diener, E., & Drogos, K. L. (2010). The friendship effect in judgements of physical attractiveness. In J. C. Toller (Ed.), Friendships: Types, cultural, psychological and social aspects (Chapter 9, pp. 149–162). Nova Science Pub Inc.
  • Zagorsky, J. L. (2016). Are blondes really dumb? Economics Bulletin, 36(1), 401–410.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.