AttractionandLove.pptVIP

Copyright 2008 Allyn Bacon Attraction and Love?Binding Forces Chapter 7 Attraction and Love Attraction: The Force That Binds? Love: “The Morning and the Evening Star”? Attraction: The Force That Binds? Physical Attractiveness Is beauty in the eye of the beholder? Cultural standards for physical attractiveness exist. Can lead to taking measures to meet cultural expectations Anorexia nervosa: Potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by refusal to maintain a healthy body weight; intense fear of being overweight; a distorted body image; and, in females, lack of menstruation (amenorrhea). Men prefer women to be somewhat heavier than women think men do. Women prefer men to be somewhat leaner than men think women do. Attraction: The Force That Binds? Lesbians’ physical preferences: Prefer heavier women than men Reject excessive slenderness as attractive Nonphysical traits Perceived beauty may be enhanced by such traits as familiarity, liking, respect, and sharing of values and goals Attraction: The Force That Binds? Some facial features associated with beauty appear to be the same across cultures. Gender-role expectations affect perceptions of physical attractiveness. People who act consistent with gender-role expectations typically are viewed as more attractive. People’s names affect perceptions of attractiveness. Matthew versus Sylvester Christine versus Gertrude Attraction: The Force That Binds? Men report valuing the physical attractiveness of prospective partners more than women do. Women report valuing the earning potential of prospective partners more than men do. Although some evidence may support an evolutionary explanation for attractiveness preferences, it does not fit all the data. Both men and women report that personal characteristics (e.g., honesty) matter more than physical features do when considering long-term partners. And many women also prefer physically attractive partners. Cultural influences can explain the findings, as