The Psychology of Beauty: An Evolutionary Perspective

Most of us (hopefully) know that beauty is more than skin-deep.

However, people default to finding certain features physically attractive. Have you ever looked at someone you thought was beautiful, and wondered what it is exactly that makes them so? Is it their hair, their eyes, or just something about them that you can't put your finger on? Chances are, you find them attractive for reasons beyond your immediate understanding.

When you look at the face of someone you find attractive, chances are you may feel tingly or your heart starts racing. O'Doherty et al. (2003) found that when participants looked at pictures of beautiful faces activated the reward centre in their brains. This is the same region that becomes activated when we eat something delicious, smell something incredible, or hear a beautiful piece of music. It is inherently rewarding to look at beautiful people!

Averageness

When researchers create a composite photo of multiple faces blended together, this face is consistently rated as more attractive than the face of an individual. This is true for both male and female faces. Theorists believe that averageness suggests healthy development and optimal functioning, each of which signifies good health. From an evolutionary perspective, it is more advantageous to mate with someone who is in good health. Your genes are more likely to be passed along.

Symmetry

Perfectly symmetrical faces are rated as more attractive than non-symmetrical faces. Perret et al. (1999) believes that the reasoning behind preferences for symmetrical faces in both humans and animals is that individuals with more symmetrical faces have a higher mate-value. That is, they are more likely provide you with reproductive success. Scientists believe that individuals with more symmetrical faces are likely to have a stronger immune system. Thus, beauty suggests strong genes, and that your offspring as a high likelihood of survival.

The Halo Effect

The Halo Effect is a cognitive bias where the initial impression we have about a person influences our thoughts about their character. Karen Dion, Ellen Berschield and Elaine Walster (1972) call this the "what is beautiful is good" stereotype. We assume that people who are beautiful possess more socially desired personality traits, and expect that they lead better lives. As a culture and society, we often default to assuming that attractive individuals are more friendly, intelligent, likeable, and popular than people who are rated as less attractive. We make the assumption that people we find beautiful are inherently better in most respects than less attractive people.  However, this certainly is not the case.

Human beings judge others based on how they look. Beauty affects how we choose a mate, and affects how we treat others. However, this isn't to say that plastic surgery is the answer. Gaining thinner thighs, or a smaller nose will not necessarily bring you more happiness. Check out this TEDtalks featuring Cameron Russell, a model who discusses why beauty isn't the key to happiness.

References

Dion, K., Berscheid, E., & Walster, E. (1972). What Is Beautiful Is Good..Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 24(3), 285-290.O'Doherty, J., Winston, J., Chitchley, H., Perrett, D., Burt, D., & Dolan, R. (2003). Beauty In A Smile: The Role Of Medial Orbitofrontal Cortex In Facial Attractiveness. Neuropsychologia,41(2), 147-155.Perrett, D. I., Burt, D., Penton-Voak, I. S., Lee, K. J., Rowland, D. A., & Edwards, R. (1999). Symmetry and Human Facial Attractiveness. Evolution and Human Behavior, 20(5), 295-307.