PSY 161 Lecture Notes - Lecture 22: Machismo, Attachment Theory, Averageness
17 Jul 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
What's attractive in a face?
For heterosexual people, what's particularly attractive?
Which facial features?
- large eyes, small nose "baby face" is attractive
- conveys idea of nurturance and warmth
- book is incorrect, says only for women that baby face is attractive, but more research shows that it's
for both men and women. Large eyes, small nose.
For men only:
- prominent cheekbones, and large chin
- conveys maturity
-thick glasses also (he thinks? Maybe? Or was prof joking, I couldn’t tell)
- indicative of maturity and status, and macho look isn't always attractive across cultures
For women only:
- high cheekbones, narrow cheeks, small chin
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Symmetry - very attractive
- women get more symmetrical mid cycle, documented finding
- men are most attractive to women when women are in the most fertile part of their cycle, mid cycle
How do you get more symmetrical over time?
hormonal shift, body changes with fluids, and tissues, and whatever, etc.
Top notch, world class athlete tend to be highly symmetrical in features - what's that about? - if you
have symmetrical features on your face, you might have that symmetry all across your body as well,
symmetric leg length is likely to lead to faster running, better engineered machine, for distance, etc.
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Averageness
- we like average
Lots of variation in body attractiveness
Not just in different cultures, but also within cultures over time
Across cultures though -
Men: average weight, shoulder/hip ratio of a V
Women: around average weight, waist that's 1/3 narrower than hips
But there's tremendous variety even in the US, 60s, 70s - super skinny look, curvy looks, different kinds
of bodies over time changes, Great Depression the fuller figures look more attractive, subconsciously
indicates material, abundance, etc.
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Evolutionary Perspective:
Males prefer healthy looking, fertile looking females, (can pass along quality genes), certain body types
preference
Attraction, Cont.
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
3:28 PM
CSP.PSY 161 FINAL Page 1
preference
Females prefer strong, dominant looking male (can protect and provide resources)
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Other factors in attraction: personality, how competent you are, maturity
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Which describes you?
1. relatively easy to get close to others, comfortable depending on them, don’t often worry about being
abandoned or about someone getting too close
2. others are reluctant to get as close as wanted, often worry others don't really love them, won't want
to stay with them, want to get very close, sometimes scares people away
Secure base, come back to someone safe after going to the outside world
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Safe haven, for comfort and protection when needed after being hurt
○
3. somewhat uncomfortable being close to others, find it difficult to trust completely, or depend on
them, nervous when anyone gets too close, often, others want more intimacy than they feel
comfortable being
Attachment Theory: Basic Premise
- human infants require a caregiver that takes care of them, protects them from harm, to survive
- infants use attachment figures as a secure base to explore
There are dramatic differences in caregiving -
Patterns of relating and "attaching" to others across the lifespan
we all have the need to explore the world, we all have a tendency to come back to get reassurance from
caregivers
Caregivers wildly vary in how they give care
- some give unconditional security, and accept us wholly
- some put contingencies
- some are preoccupied with their own interests
Early first year experience sets a deep cognitive pattern on how infant will later interact and perceive
relationships
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Attachment Styles:
Description 1 - secure
Description 2 - insecure, anxious-ambivalent
Description 3 - insecure, avoidant
Secure, 56%
Anxious ambivalent, 21%
Avoidant, 23%
Attachment styles can change - takes time and work
To change attachment styles -
being more aware, being in this class, understanding this to take steps and learn more about what it
takes to change
Attachment styles are stable over time, but they can be changed
There are interventions that show attachment styles can be changed
CSP.PSY 161 FINAL Page 2
Document Summary
Large eyes, small nose "baby face" is attractive. Book is incorrect, says only for women that baby face is attractive, but more research shows that it"s for both men and women. Indicative of maturity and status, and macho look isn"t always attractive across cultures. Women get more symmetrical mid cycle, documented finding. Men are most attractive to women when women are in the most fertile part of their cycle, mid cycle. How do you get more symmetrical over time? hormonal shift, body changes with fluids, and tissues, and whatever, etc. If you have symmetrical features on your face, you might have that symmetry all across your body as well, symmetric leg length is likely to lead to faster running, better engineered machine, for distance, etc. Not just in different cultures, but also within cultures over time. Men: average weight, shoulder/hip ratio of a v. Women: around average weight, waist that"s 1/3 narrower than hips.
