The evolutionary psychology of human physical attractiveness: Results from five populations.

Abstract

Are there species-typical psychological mechanisms governing the development of standards of physical attractiveness analogous to the biological specializations for language learning postulated by many linguists? This dissertation reports data collected over the past three years from the United States, Brazil, Russia, Paraguay (Ache Indians), and Venezuela (Hiwi Indians). Over 200 photographs of Americans, Brazilians and Ache of both sexes were rated for attractiveness in each of these societies and by Russians and Hiwi. Findings include: (1) Cross cultural agreement. All five populations in the study show significant agreement in their assessments of facial attractiveness. (2) Averageness. There is a tendency for individuals in this study to rate members of the other sex from their own populations as more attractive when the proportions of their faces, measured on photographs, are closer to the population average. (3) Symmetry. Stress on an organism during the course of development often results in random departures from bilateral symmetry, a phenomenon called "fluctuating asymmetry" (FA). Recent work shows that non-human organisms may be using symmetry as a criterion of mate choice. But facial symmetry is not significantly correlated with attractiveness in this study. (4) Age and sex markers. Men in each society in this study are attracted to neotenous (youthful) facial features in women, especially large eyes in relation to the vertical dimensions of the face. This holds even when age is controlled for--i.e. female faces rated attractive are those that present markers of youthfulness in an exaggerated or "supernormal" form. (5) Race and somatic prejudice. In Bahia, Brazil, individuals of African ancestry are in the majority, but individuals with predominantly European ancestry have more money and political power and higher social status. In this study there is a non-linear relationship between ratings of attractiveness and "racial" features in Bahia. Individuals with pronounced African features are rated significantly less attractive than individuals with intermediate features, while individuals with intermediate features are not rated significantly more or less attractive than individuals with pronounced European features.