CS202 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Facial Hair, Physical Attractiveness
Document Summary
Those aspects of our face and body that are relatively consistent throughout a communicative exchange. Humans are concerned with their appearance and the appearance of others. Physical characteristics are taken as indicators of character, personality, and likely future behaviour. Physical attractiveness plays an influential role in determining responses in interpersonal encounters. We initially respond more favourable to those we perceive as more physically attractive. We judge people we perceive as attractive as more successful, having a better personality, as more sociable, more desirable, more persuasive, and happier. Our behaviour towards people we perceive as unattractive is often negative. Small children look longer at pictures of attractive women. The cultural guidelines of what is, and is not, attractive are established by the age of 6. Peer popularity is highly correlated to physical attractiveness. Teachers tend to see attractive students as more intelligent, more socially adept, and higher in educational potential.
