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Physical attractiveness is the perception of the physical traits of an individual human person or a group, race, or type of people, as attractive or beautiful. Such beauty or attractiveness can include many various implications, including but not limited to sexual attractiveness, "cuteness", and physique. Judgement of attractiveness of physical traits is partly universal to all human cultures, partly dependent on culture/society or time period, and partly a matter of individual preference. Physical attractiveness can have a significant effect on how people are judged, in terms of employment or social opportunities, friendship, sexual behavior, and marriage. In many cases humans attribute positive characteristics, such as intelligence and honesty, to attractive people without consciously realizing it. Certain aspects of such attribution behavior have been scientifically documented.
Perception of physical attractiveness
Cultural, social, or time period environments can have a strong effect on the degree to which people determine certain traits to be attractive. As part of the socialization process, children typically learn what their culture or time period considers attractive.
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One popular concept of the "villain", meant to mimic the purposely distinctive visage of villains from silent films of the early 20th century . The expression on his face is associated with insanity.
Media, including written as well as visual forms, such as films and cartoons, for example, frequently portray "villains" or "bad" individual as less attractive, while protagonists are frequently depicted as attractive. This often leads to the perception that beauty can be equated with goodness or virtue in certain ways and certain time periods or cultures. Indeed, the term for "beautiful" or "attractive" in many languages, is literally that the person "looks good". Children are shown examples of what is considered beautiful in the form of dolls and pictures on magazine covers. Perception of what is considered as attractive and appealing is also very heavily influenced by other dominant cultures and the impact of their value systems. There is a downside to being very attractive-it is assumed that beautiful men and women are more likely to have extramarital affairs, seek divorce, carry sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and are far more likely to have sexual relationships that are considered to be inappropriate. (Etcoff p.87) |
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