Pretty on the inside? or outside?: How Objective and Subjective Attractiveness Levels Influence Partner Choice

Background: Objective attractiveness level is defined as many raters rating one person similarly in terms of physical attractiveness. Subjective attractiveness level is influenced by the raters’ attributions and lacks universal agreement. Previous literature proposes objective and subjective attractiveness levels to predict short term and long term match success, respectively. By gaining clarity on the relationship between these levels and their influence on match success, this thesis aims to improve match prediction from a new perspective. A positive relationship between objective attractiveness level and match success was expected. High couple similarity on subjective attractiveness was expected to increase the first relationship. Methods: A total of 1,668 individuals aged 18-44 were matched based on demographics, subjective attributions and personality questionnaires. After receiving each other’s email addresses for the purpose of meeting, the study proceeded with 2 post-matching...Show moreBackground: Objective attractiveness level is defined as many raters rating one person similarly in terms of physical attractiveness. Subjective attractiveness level is influenced by the raters’ attributions and lacks universal agreement. Previous literature proposes objective and subjective attractiveness levels to predict short term and long term match success, respectively. By gaining clarity on the relationship between these levels and their influence on match success, this thesis aims to improve match prediction from a new perspective. A positive relationship between objective attractiveness level and match success was expected. High couple similarity on subjective attractiveness was expected to increase the first relationship. Methods: A total of 1,668 individuals aged 18-44 were matched based on demographics, subjective attributions and personality questionnaires. After receiving each other’s email addresses for the purpose of meeting, the study proceeded with 2 post-matching follow-ups, each containing questionnaires assessing match success. Results: A significant negative relationship was found between objective level of attractiveness and match success. Moderation analysis indicated that subjective attractiveness level does not influence the relationship between objective attractiveness levels and match success. Conclusion: Consistent with previous research, a relationship between objective attractiveness level with match success was found. Unexpectedly, participants rated high on objective attractiveness had a lower probability for match success. Possible explanations are given. No clarity was gained on the relationship between objective and subjective attractiveness levels with match success, however objective level seems to be more predictive. For more precise measurement, future research must quantify the importance of variables predicting match success.Show less

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Pretty on the inside? or outside? How Objective and Subjective Attractiveness Levels Influence Partner Choice