Looks play a huge role in our initial attraction to another person. According to Irish-American biopsychologist and author Nigel Barber, humans are typically attracted to those who exhibit signs of health, which can include facial symmetry and good skin.
Interviewed for the South China Morning Post, and republished on the Asia One website, Dr Sarah Johns, Senior Lecturer in Evolutionary Anthropology at Kent, explains that the research regarding symmetry is mixed, “but it can contribute to someone being attractive, and certainly signals that there are no disorders of development.”
In men, those with symmetrical features have even been found to be better at sports and dancing – and to have higher-quality sperm. When it comes to appearances, heterosexual men and women generally have different priorities concerning what they look for in the opposite sex.
Evolutionary speaking, men want a woman of good “reproductive value”. Indicators of youth, therefore, play a role in attraction as young women are at their fertile peak. Smooth facial skin, bright eyes, full lips and glossy hair are all indicators of youth and, subsequently, are the objective standards of beauty.
Certain body shapes also indicate a higher reproductive potential: studies have found that women with smaller waists in contrast to their hips and large breasts tend to be more fertile.
Women often place less importance on appearance than men as, in terms of mating benefits, a woman’s prime concern is to find a partner who can protect her and provide resources. Yet there are still physical attributes that are considered more objectively attractive to heterosexual women.
Johns suggests that ladies frequently seek men who exhibit more masculine traits (although too much masculinity can be perceived as dangerous). Women may be more attracted to signs of masculinity as they could indicate a better ability to provide and protect: such ‘masculine’ traits include broader shoulders with narrower hips, and a prominent jawline.
What’s more, women will often find older-looking men more attractive – the so-called “George Clooney effect”, named after the American actor and filmmaker. This could be because men stay fertile for much longer, and as they age they generally gain more wealth and status, thus becoming a more stable match.
According to Johns, “signs of stability and dependability are very important for women.” If a man gives off signs of being unstable or violent, he could be a potential future threat to a woman or her children.
As mentioned, heterosexual women tend to seek men who are able and willing to provide them – and subsequently their offspring – with resources and protection. Individuals who demonstrate they have ambition, and are industrious, well-educated and hard-working, are often deemed to be good potential mates. Other studies have indicated that women seek men who demonstrate good potential as a co-parent.
“Men are less picky in this regard,” Johns says. For longer-term relationships they – also like women – seek a partner who is “sociable, funny and stable”.
The full article can be found here.