Question 1

Evolutionarily speaking, one reason that people prefer the familiar over that which is unfamiliar is that

Accepted Answer

Throughout evolution, our ancestors had to quickly determine whether something was safe or dangerous in order to survive. Familiar things are perceived as safe because they are known and have not caused harm in the past. Unfamiliar things, on the other hand, may pose a potential threat and require more caution.

Question 2

When researchers suggest that people tend to prefer an "average" face as being most physically attractive, they mean that people prefer

Accepted Answer

When researchers suggest that people tend to prefer an "average" face as being most physically attractive, they mean faces that are based on mathematically averaged composites. In other words, the researchers create a composite image of multiple faces and then average the features together, resulting in a "new" face that is considered more attractive than any individual face. This is known as the "averageness" effect.

Question 3

If you were hiring someone to work as a receptionist for your office, who would you hire and why?

Accepted Answer

The answer of If you were hiring someone to work...

Question 4

All of the following are true except that

Accepted Answer

Large eyes and prominent cheekbones are generally considered attractive features, but big noses are not typically regarded as universally attractive across both sexes.

Question 5

"Baby face" features are considered to be more attractive, especially in women. It is thought that when perceivers see someone with baby face features, it elicits

Accepted Answer

Baby face features such as large eyes, small nose and round cheeks are associated with youth and innocence, which elicits feelings of warmth and nurturance in perceivers. These features are more attractive because they signal potential mates who are more approachable and in need of care.

Question 6

Brian does not know anything about Sally except that she is very attractive. Based on research presented in the text, Brian is most likely to make the attribution that Sally is

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that people tend to associate physical attractiveness with traits such as sociability, extroversion, and assertiveness. Therefore, it is likely that Brian will make the attribution that Sally is sociable and extroverted based on her physical appearance alone.

Question 7

Researchers used computer graphics to generate composite faces that reflected the exact mathematical average of the facial features of a large number of individual photographs. They then asked participants to rate the attractiveness of the composite photograph and the individual photographs that were combined to make up the composite. These researchers found that

Accepted Answer

The researchers found that participants preferred the composite photo to the individual photos.

Question 8

What do propinquity, similarity, and reciprocal liking have in common?

Accepted Answer

Propinquity, similarity, and reciprocal liking are all factors that contribute to people's preference for the familiar. Propinquity refers to physical proximity or nearness, which can lead to familiarity and increased liking. Similarity also fosters familiarity as people feel more comfortable around those who share similar traits or interests. Reciprocal liking occurs when people experience mutual liking, which reinforces positive feelings and leads to continued interaction and familiarity. Ultimately, all three factors contribute to people's tendency to prefer familiar others.

Question 9

Recall that recent research finds that people rating the physical attractiveness of faces most prefer faces that resemble their own. This finding suggests that ________ is critically important in physical attraction.

Accepted Answer

The research finding suggests that familiarity is critically important in physical attraction, as people tend to prefer faces that resemble their own. This indicates that familiarity plays a significant role in determining perceived physical attractiveness.

Question 10

Research has found that there is agreement across cultures concerning what constitutes an attractive face; that infants prefer photographs of attractive faces to unattractive ones and that they prefer the same faces that adults do; and that statistically average faces tend to be seen as attractive. These findings provide support for a(n) ________ interpretation of the importance of physical attractiveness.

Accepted Answer

The findings mentioned in the question suggest that physical attractiveness may have an evolutionary interpretation, meaning that it could be linked to reproductive fitness and the ability to pass on genes to future generations. This is supported by evidence that preference for attractive faces is present across cultures and even in infants, indicating a biological basis for this phenomenon.

Question 11

Research suggests that there is ________ between babies and adults, men and women, and people from several cultures as to what is considered physically attractive.

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that there is amazing consistency between different groups of people as to what is considered physically attractive.

Question 12

Stanley is building a robot in the year 2054. Fulfilling a fantasy and taking advantage of the technology available, he decides to make his robot have a female form and be physically appealing. To have the most success in this, what should he do?

Accepted Answer

Creating a face that is a composite of highly attractive faces would ensure that it appeals to a wide range of individuals and preferences, regardless of culture or background. It is also important to avoid using babyface features, as this can make the robot look childish and reduce its appeal to adults. Option A is not advised as it limits the scope of the robot's attractiveness, while option B may be too unusual and may not appeal to most people.

Question 13

When researchers reviewed the literature on standards of beauty across cultures, they found that the attractiveness ratings among participants of all different races and ethnicities ranged from .66 to .93. These relatively large positive correlations suggest that

Accepted Answer

The relatively large positive correlations indicate that regardless of culture or background, people tend to agree on what is attractive. This contradicts options A and B which suggest that standards of beauty differ significantly across cultures or within cultures but not across cultures. Option C is partly true but does not fully capture the finding that people from different cultures are able to agree on what is attractive.

Question 14

Physical beauty confers only limited advantages. Researchers have found that people are most likely to associate physical attractiveness with

Accepted Answer

Research has found that people are more likely to associate physical attractiveness with social competence, such as being friendly, outgoing, and socially skilled, rather than intelligence, integrity, or self-esteem. While physical attractiveness can provide some advantages in certain situations, such as job interviews or dating, it is not a guarantee of success or happiness in life.

Question 15

Researchers (Wheeler & Kim, 1997) asked American, Canadian, and Korean students to rate the attractiveness of people in yearbook photographs, and to rate the people in the photographs on a number of personality dimensions. Which of the following traits did all participants associate with physical attractiveness?

Accepted Answer

All participants associated physical attractiveness with social skills, as it is a common stereotype that attractive people possess better social abilities.

Question 16

Sheila is considered to be very attractive by both men and women. Which of the following features is she most likely to have?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Sheila is considered to be very attractive...

Question 17

According to research conducted by Cunningham and his colleagues (1986), there is overlap in what men and women find attractive in the opposite sex. For example, both men and women find ________ attractive in members of the opposite sex.

Accepted Answer

According to the research by Cunningham et al. (1986), both men and women find large eyes and prominent cheekbones attractive in members of the opposite sex.

Question 18

Recall that Perrett et al. (1994) created two kinds of composite faces, an "average attractive" composite and a "highly attractive" composite, using photographs of Caucasian and Japanese men and women. They then asked participants in Great Britain and Japan to rate these faces. They found all of the following except that

Accepted Answer

Perrett et al. (1994) did find that the highly attractive composites were rated as significantly more attractive than the average attractive composites and that the highly attractive faces were more extreme in the features that are generally considered attractive. They also found that the features that were considered attractive were similar to the features found to be attractive by other researchers. However, they did not find that Japanese and British participants differed in their assessments based on ethnicity. In fact, they found that both groups rated the same faces as attractive, but the British participants rated the Caucasian faces as more attractive and the Japanese participants rated the Japanese faces as more attractive. Therefore, the correct answer is B.

Question 19

When people are asked to rate the attractiveness of faces, the faces that they most prefer

Accepted Answer

The answer of When people are asked to rate the...

Question 20

There is mounting evidence suggesting that people who are more physically attractive are perceived and treated differently than those who are less attractive. One striking example of this was found in the context of

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that premature infants who are perceived as more attractive tend to receive more attention and care, which can lead to better health outcomes.

Quiz 10: Interpersonal Attraction: From First Impressions to Close Relationships