Ellen Berscheid, Elaine Walster,

Physical Attractiveness11Preparation of this paper was facilitated by National

Institute of Health Grant MH 16729, and National Science Foundation Grants GS-
35157X and GS-30822X. We should also like to thank Dr. John Arrowood and Dr.
Marshall Dermer for their helpful comments.,
Editor(s): Leonard Berkowitz,
Advances in Experimental Social Psychology,
Academic Press,
Volume 7,
1974,
Pages 157-215,
ISSN 0065-2601,
ISBN 9780120152070,
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601(08)60037-4.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0065260108600374)
Abstract: Publisher Summary
This chapter discusses physical attractiveness in social interactions. Physical
attractiveness is, in many ways, a homely variable. The physical attractiveness
variable is unpretentious for at least two reasons. First, it is unlikely that it
will be found to be orthogonal to other dimensions, primarily intelligence,
socioeconomic status, and perhaps genetically determined behavioral predispositions
associated with morphological characteristics. Second, it seems highly unlikely
that physical attractiveness will ever form the core concept of a psychological
theory, even a much needed social perceptual theory, which will illuminate the way
to useful and interesting predictions about social relationships. The chapter
focuses on recent social psychological evidence, which suggests that even esthetic
attractiveness may be a useful dimension for understanding certain social
phenomena, and, perhaps, for illuminating some personality and developmental
puzzles as well. Perception of the physical attractiveness level of another appears
to be influenceable by the affective and experiential relationship between the
evaluator and the person whose physical attractiveness level is to be judged, as
well as by factors unique to the evaluator and the setting in which evaluations are
made, although none of these factors have been the subject of much study. The
impact of physical attractiveness upon the individual has been highlighted in the
chapter.