Dr Felix de Beaumont Heythrop College University of London

1. Dr Felix de BeaumontHeythrop CollegeUniversity of London +

2. Beautiful Face? +

3. Overview • Introduction • Facial attractiveness main approaches • Impression management; Is justice blind? • Erotic capital • Bodies & disorders • Body dysmorphia ( ‘ugly syndrome’) • Addiction to cosmetic surgery • Men- Muscle- the Adonis complex • Summing up, future directions

4. Psychological approaches to exp • Cognitive • Evolutionary • Social • Can we integrate all the theories into one package?

5. Why are some faces always beautiful? • Beauty changes- History, Culture, Fashion • Attributes vary- masculine, feminine, gender blending

6. Beauty through History

7. Same applies to men and bodies

8. Face processing • A fundamental human ability • Hard wired • Infants prefer prototypical faces, and attractive ones!! • We can recognise 1000s of faces

10. Memory/recognition • We all know thousands of faces • Family, friends, celebrities, people who take the same bus everyday etc • Some stand out more than others • Can you accurately describe the faces you know- more people can accurately describe Cher than their own mothers !

11. Signals & messages

13. Judgements / reactions • Positive – negative dimension • Stereotypes • Prejudice • assumptions

14. Active enhancement/exaggerationhistoric period- culture

15. Golden Ratio

16. Golden Ratio • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc4Y52uiSZQ

19. Averaged faces more attractive?

20. Cognitive approach • Langlois & Roggman, 1990 : attractive faces are only average. i.e. mathematical average • The more average, the more like a prototype ‘face’ and therefore more pleasing to the cognitive system

21. Bio-evolutionary messages

22. Symmetry & distinctiveness • Overly symmetrical facials features somewhat creepy, but symmetry is what most people try to achieve through surgery and cosmetics • Distinctiveness- that certain something that makes a face stand out. • Combination of average and distinctiveness could be a winner!

23. Evolutionary approach in psychology • All about mate selection • Link to reproduction – window of reproduction? • Shorter life span in ancient man- we live longer now • Youthful adult features advertise sex; baby features illicit protectiveness • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO9tOuSrnrk&NR=1

25. Social Learning

26. Humans learn from the environment • Messages we receive • Learning adjusts perception • Human desire to agree with others within social group • 3 different approaches to beauty- we will look at integrated approaches

27. Ashmore et al 1996 • Integration of cognitive, evolutionary and socio-cultural ideas into a multidimensional space • Three dimensions: sexiness, cuteness, fashionable • Combination of all three places thet arget in a particular area, and so decides attractiveness

28. Dimensions- sexy, cute, trendy

29. Cunningham et al 1995 • Multiple fitness model • Reflects perceivers implicit perception of a combination of features & cues • 5 categories: 3 relate to development/maturity and the final two about what the target does with themselves: expression, grooming

30. Osborn 2006 • Draws on Ashmore, and Cunningham • Allows for cultural, social, and personal change • Series of filters • Initial impression crucial

31. e.g. Ashmore et al. (1996) (sub) Cultural Beauty Identity Ideals Hendrick & Hendrick (1986 Judge Component Target Component STORGE High High Trendy PRAGMA 1 2 Cute ? EROS 3 Sexy MANIA LUDUS Low Low Filter One Biological Attractiveness Levels Filter Two Target’s Judged Attractiveness Filter Three Love Style

32. Judge Component Target Component LIFEEXPERIENCES High eg. Park & Flink (1989) Thibaut & Kelley (1959) Low Target’s Judged Attractiveness

33. Consequences of beauty? • Attribution & the fundamental attribution error • Halo effect • ‘what is beautiful is good’