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Topic 1: Attraction
1. Find 2 empirical studies (empirical means based on research and data collection) about physical attraction. Go to Google Scholar to do your search or go to PCC Library – Database – PsychInfo – and enter your keywords into Search.
2. Summarize the findings and provide citations.
3. Are looks important to you.
4. What is your opinion on the biological/evolutionary predisposition for attraction?
5. Provide your thoughts and arguments in support AND against the statement that “Attraction is one of the most unspoken forms of discrimination.”
Resources:
Topic 2: Sexuality
1. Provide at least 3 facts that you learned from the Evolutionary Psychology about male and female differences in mating and courtship. Indicate what you agree/disagree with and why. Relate the information to your personal life when appropriate.
2. We proposed in class that sexuality is complicated and that perceptions of sexual behaviors and practices depend on historic time and specific cultures. Please elaborate on changes in attitudes towards sexual practices from prehistoric (hunter and gatherers) societies to agricultural societies.
3. What was the reason for rise of control over female sexuality? We watched this clip in class; you can review again to better answer question 2 and 3
4. Do you agree or disagree with this historic/anthropological account given by Dr. Christopher Ryan? (see the clip above)
5. Do you think that currently (with all the technological advancements e.g. DNA testing, birth control) we are going through another shift in attitude towards sexuality? Are we coming back to what sex originally meant for humans, claiming its “social function” and rejecting culturally induced restrictions? Can current research findings on fluidity of sexuality be an indication of this change? We watched this clip on sexual fluidity in class
.
Resources:
https://youtu.be/m2rTHDOuUBw (only 9:08-28:58)
Interpersonal Attraction
1. Physical Attributes
2. Confidence
3. Affect
4. Proximity
5. Similarity
6. Reciprocity
Reproductive vs Social Function
Traditionally study of “attraction” had and still has a very strong heterosexual bias
Physical Attraction
Binary definitions of sex and gender are not scientific
Variation in attraction (e.g. gay woman can be attracted to transgender
man or straight woman attracted to gay man)
Age
Heterosexual & homosexual men ranked younger sex partners
higher than older ones on “good looks”
Heterosexual, but not homosexual women ranked older men higher
Appearance
Waist-to-chest ratio: primary component of attractiveness for
heterosexual & gay men. But, gay men had a stronger preference for a
more developed upper-body build
Not all gay man look toward muscularity and athleticism as the primary
components of attractiveness
Same-sex and different-sex
relationships are more alike than
different
Same-sex couples: positive
coping skills and strategies to
deal with challenges of minority
stress and thrive
Sexual Identity Uncertainty: which
sexual identity label best captures
one’s attractions & behavior
Sexual identity uncertainty may result
from social pressure to fit into binary
categories
Individuals who are attracted to more
than one gender (nonmonosexual)
may be perceived as unsure whether
they are gay or heterosexual
Interpersonal Attraction
1. Physical Attributes
2. Confidence
3. Affect
4. Proximity
5. Similarity
6. Reciprocity
Physical Attractiveness
Physical Attractiveness
Most people deny that looks are
important
Looks are more important
during the initial meeting
early stages of relationship
for short-term, less involved
relationships
As involvement increases the emphases
shifts to personality and
status
Attractive companions increase our
status
In happy marriages, people see their
partners as more attractive than they
really are
Reasons we Prefer Attractive People
People are attracted to a smell of
attractive people
Beauty is Intoxicating
Evolutionary explanations: we are
hardwired to prefer some but not
others
Newborn infants prefer faces of
attractive people
Evolutionary preference for “beauty”
Natural Selection
Survival / reproduction of organisms as a
function of their physical attributes
Sexual Selection
1. Females
Choose males based on elaborate
ornamentation or male behaviors
Handicap Principal:
suggested in 1975 by biologist Amotz Zahavi
Handicap signals fitness
2. Males
Competition: for access to
females (e.g., horns)
Develop sensitivity to females’’
preferences
Females drive the course of
sexual selection
Cosmetics as a Feature of the Extended Human Phenotype
Modulation of the Perception of Biologically Important Facial Signals Nancy L. Etcoff, Shannon
Stock,
Lauren E. Haley, Sarah A. Vickery, David M. House
1. Likability
2. Competence
3. Attractiveness
4. Trustworthiness
http://nortonbooks.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83534ac5b69e2015392a1dd9c970b-pi
women with makeup: rated more positively
Photos were shown quickly
ratings went up
• Competent
• Likable
• Attractive
• Trustworthy
Dramatic makeup:
• Likable
• Much more attractive
• Competent, but
• Less trustworthy
Cosmetics as a Feature of the Extended Human Phenotype
Modulation of the Perception of Biologically Important Facial Signals Nancy L. Etcoff, Shannon Stock,
Lauren E. Haley, Sarah A. Vickery, David M. House
Heterosexual men tend to find the faces of women with larger pupils more
attractive even when they’re unaware of the reason for their preference.
“bella donna”
from Italian and
means “beautiful
woman”
What Attracts Us – Symmetry
What Attracts Us – Body Shape
What Attracts Us: Height
What Attracts Us: Hight
119,000 individuals aged between 40 and 70 in the UK Biobank
Men: shorter height is linked to lower levels of
▪ education
▪ job status
▪ income
Women: higher BMI is linked to lower
▪ income
▪ greater deprivation
Possible complex interactions with self esteem, stigma, positive
discrimination
What Attracts Us: Movement
Why We Prefer Attractive People
1. Evolutionary preference for “beauty”
2. Halo effect
Assumption that good-looking people
possess more desirable characteristics
Attractive people
are assumed
to be exiting dates
be more sensitive & kind
sexually warm responsive
poised
sociable
outgoing and confident
have better characters
Attractive people have
More social & professional success
Little happier in general
More fulfilling lives
Halo Effect
Preferred as friends
More popular
More likely to be hired after a
job interview
Receive higher pay
Make better impression &
receive leniency when
defendants in court
Attractive attorneys earn higher
incomes & more likely to
become partners in their firms
Attractive people
Experiment: Self-Fulfilling Nature of Beauty
All male participants
Phone conversations
3 groups: photo attractive, not attractive & no photo
“Attractive” woman: rated as more poised,
humorous, and socially adept
Ratings of men who didn’t have a photo
more attractive
more confident
more animated
warmer than the woman who though to be unattractive
Halo Effect
Physical Appearance
“Frizzy wig” experiment
▪ When woman was attractive: her positive and negative
evaluations of interaction mattered
▪ When she was not attractive: her comments didn’t matter
Gorgeous People
▪ Assumed to be more vain & promiscuous
▪ People lie to attractive people about their
▪ interests, personalities, income
▪ Gorgeous people may discount praise given
▪ by those who see them
▪ Unattractive people value praise more if people see them
Contrast effect: View self negatively when encounter gorgeous
people of the same sex
Cameron Russell: “I won a genetic lottery”
Primary & Secondary Dimensions of Diversity
Sexual
Orientation
Race
Gender
Physical
Qualities
Age
Ethnicity
Work
Background
Income
Geographic
Location
Parental
Status
Marital
Status
Education
Military
Experience
Religious Beliefs
“Unattractive” People
Unattractive people are rated
more negatively
Unattractive men have less
interaction with women
Plain women spent a lot of
time interacting with men in
groups while attractive
women get more dates
Older women: considered
less attractive (Jane Elliott)
Awareness
Guilt/Frustration/Anxiety
Support
Accountability
Transformation can change be mandated?
Interpersonal Attraction
1. Physical Attributes
2. Confidence
3. Affect
4. Proximity
5. Similarity
6. Reciprocity
What Causes Attraction: Confidence
Super confident:
is it Attractive?
▪ Blunder Effect or
Pratfall Effect
What Causes Attraction?
3. Emotional State (Affect)
The Associated Effect – Misattribution
Aroused by something unrelated to a person
we are with feel
attraction
to that person
Misattributions of Physiological Arousal for Attraction
What Causes Attraction
Misattributions of physiological arousal
Hot Drink may Influence how Likable You are
Negotiations: people who sit on hard chairs (vs soft) are harder negotiators
A study by Lawrence Williams of the University of Colorado and John A. Bargh of Yale University
Experiencing Physical Warmth Promotes Interpersonal Warmth
What Causes Attraction
4. Proximity
physical closeness between two
individuals with respect to where
they live, where they sit in a
classroom, where they work,
and so on
The Propinquity Effect:
increased likelihood that two people will
come into repeated contact, feel
positive affect, and develop mutual
attraction
The Propinquity Effect
Location Exposure Familiarity Attraction
Propinquity effect is stronger
when people are not aware of
the exposure
The effect does not happen
when people’s initial reaction is
very negative. In this case,
familiarity can result in more
dislike
What Causes Attraction – Do Opposites Attract?
5. Similarity
Similarity-dissimilarity effect:
respond positively to people who are similar
to us & negatively to people who are
dissimilar
What do we think about people who are
SIMILAR to us?
more intelligent,
more informed,
more moral, and
better adjusted than people who are
dissimilar
Similarity: Liking those who are like us
Demographic similarity:
▪ age, race, education, religion, SES
▪ Attitudes
▪ Values
▪ Personalities
▪ Attractiveness
▪ Intelligence
The strongest correlation is for similarity in education
6. Reciprocity
Liking those who like us
We are more likely to
approach those who offer
acceptance
Men’s dopamine receptiors
are activated:
▪ If an attractive woman
makes an eye contact
▪ The same findings for
gay men
Intellectual Diversity
• All opinions are welcomed, but it does
not mean that they are facts
• We don’t take other peoples’ opinions
personally
• BUT free speech does not mean
disrespecting other people
• Fundamental orthodoxy: Be like us OR
be excluded
• Putting an end to the patriarchal and
toxic way of thinking
• Intellectual terrorism
• Intellectual humility
Biological Perspective
▪ Complicated
▪ Sex & Procreation
▪ Non-Reproductive Function of
Sex
▪ Homosexuality
▪ Sexual Fluidity
▪ Gender Fluidity
Sexuality &
Interpersonal Relationships
David Halperin
Distinguished Professor of the History and Theory of Sexuality
University of Michigan
Degree: Ph.D., Stanford
Sex
▪ has no history
▪ hardwired into most species
▪ grounded in the functioning of the body
Sexuality
▪ naming, assigning meaning, categorizing
▪ sexual acts and
▪ those who practice those acts
▪ historical phenomenon
▪ should be studied as such
Ph.D. in psychology
Focus on the prehistoric roots of
human sexuality
The book was praised but also criticized for
“biased reporting of data and problematic
assumptions” by anthropologist Ryan
Ellsworth
Christopher Ryan
In opposition to the “standard narrative”
on “sex for procreation”
Non-Reproductive Function of Sex
Dr. Lisa M. Diamond
Professor of developmental & health psychology at the University of Utah
More Sex doesn’t Lead to Increased Happiness
Carnegie Mellon University
Journal of Economic Behavior
& Organization
▪ Some studies indicate: people who have more sex are also happier
▪ Being happy in the first place, might lead someone to have more sex
▪ Experiment:
▪ 2 goups: some couples to have more sex than others
▪ Observed happiness over a 3 month period
▪ Conclusion: simply having more sex did not make couples happier
Evolutionary Psychologists:
Sex is Everything
Wisdom of the Ancient World: India
Sex is Bondage
Tantra
Sanskrit: Tan = “expansion“
Tra = “liberation”
Goal of human life:
▪ Strive for absolute peace
▪ Control sexual instincts
Sex is the energy of creation
Lust & Creativity
Vladas Griskevicius University of Minnesota
https://www.researchgate.net/institution/University_of_Minnesota_Twin_Cities2
Asexuality
▪ Asexuality is distinct from celibacy
▪ Some asexuals do have sex, despite lacking a desire for it
In Humans – Rate of asexuality: 1%?
– Lack of sexual attraction or of interest & desire for sex
Hypersexual “Disorder”
“Excessive/Maladaptive Sexual Appetite”
APA did not approve hypersexual disorder for the DSM-5
Biological Perspective
▪ Complicated
▪ Sex & Procreation
▪ Non-Reproductive Function of Sex
▪ Homosexuality
▪ Sexual Fluidity
▪ Gender Fluidity
Sexuality &
Interpersonal Relationships
1) Ultimate causation:
A reason why it is there on
the first place
2) Proximate Causation:
A reason why do you do it NOW
▪ Constantly replenished
▪ 1,500-per-second production rate (average)
▪ 85 million sperm per day per testicle,
▪ Decreases with age
▪ Average ejaculation: 100-500 million sperm
Males: Short-Lived Sperm
The Ancient Egyptian
Pharaoh Ramesses II:
▪ 96 sons and 60 daughters
▪ He married 3 of his own daughters
Most prolific father of all time:
Emperor of Morocco,
Mulai Ismail (1646-1727)
In 1703 he had
▪ 342 daughters
▪ 525 sons
In 1721:
▪ 700 sons
Males’ Brain & Sex
Frontal cortex – guides sexual behaviors along socially
acceptable norms (both
male
s & females)
Males: Amygdala & Frontal Cortex
Males: Role of Testosterone in Mating
▪ 400,000 follicles/potential eggs (in ovaries)
▪ The same amount of sperm produced in 2.5 min in 2 testicles
▪ Formed before birth
▪ About 480 of these “eggs” will ever be released
Females: How Many Eggs?
Females: How Many Children?
The most prolific mother in history: a Russian peasant (18 century)
▪ 69 children, 67 of which survived infancy
▪ Between 1725 and 1765: 27 multiple births
▪ 16 pairs of twins
▪ 7 sets of triplets
▪ 4 sets of quadruplets
Females: How Many Children?
The most prolific mother in history: a Russian peasant (18 century)
▪ 69 children, 67 of which survived infancy
▪ Between 1725 and 1765: 27 multiple births
▪ 16 pairs of twins
▪ 7 sets of triplets
▪ 4 sets of quadruplets
The modern record
▪ Leontina Albina from San Antonio, Chile
▪ Now in her mid-sixties, claims 64 children
▪ 55 are documented
Most prolific father of all time:
Emperor of Morocco,
Mulai Ismail (1646-1727)
In 1703 he had
▪ 342 daughters
▪ 525 sons
In 1721:
▪ 700 sons
1. Resist sexual encounters until the
male has “proven his commitment”
Go Out Go to Apt. Go to Bed
Men were even
more likely to say
“yes” to the sexual
invitation.
0
20
40
60
80
100
Not a single
woman said
“yes” to the
sexual
invitation.
About half of
both sexes
said “yes” to
the date.
P
e
rc
e
n
t
S
a
y
in
g
“
Y
e
s”
Clark & Hatfield
Traditional View: Women
are monogamous
esearch
Intelligence & Desirability
• What is the minimum percentile of intelligence you would accept
in considering someone for:
– A date
– A sexual partner
– A one night stand
– A steady dating partner
– A marriage partner?
DATE SEX STEADY MARRIAGE
Men’s criteria are
considerably lower for
sexual partners
DATE SEX STEADY MARRIAGE
And the differences are even
more pronounced for one-
night stands.
1. Resist sexual encounters until the male has
“proven his commitment”
2. Select strongest, sexiest, most dominant
male
Dominance: Is it Attractive?
Dominance
▪ Although women are initially
attracted to sex-typed
dominant males, over time
less sex-typed men are
easier to get along with
▪ To be attractive to a woman:
dominance must be
accompanied by
agreeableness
9
5
3
1
7
• When the man was disagreeable, women found him undesirable as
a date, regardless of whether he was dominant or non-dominant.
Disagreeable Agreeable
Desirability
as a date
Non-dominant
Dominant
9
5
3
1
7
When men were agreeable, women found them desirable as a date
Desirability was enhanced if men were also dominant
Disagreeable Agreeable
Non-dominant
Dominant
Desirability
as a date
▪ Waitresses that were ovulating during their work shift – received more tips
▪ Lap dancers in stip clubs get more tips
Social Monogamy Vs Sexual Monogamy
Living arrangement proximity (social monogamy) without inferring any sexual interactions or
reproductive patterns (sexual monogamy)
Please watch these clips, in which Christopher’s Ryan suggests that sex has a social function In opposition to the “standard narrative” of “sex for procreation.”
He focuses on the prehistoric roots of human sexuality.
His book “Sex at Dawn” was praised but also criticized for “biased reporting of data and problematic assumptions” by anthropologist Ryan Ellsworth.
Please use your critical thinking and extra research to come to your own conclusions about human sexuality.
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