新編大學(xué)英語第四冊(cè)u(píng)nit5 Text A: Physical Attractiveness

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UNIT 5 IN-CLASS READING; New College English (IV)

Physical Attractiveness

1 What do you look for in a potential date? Sincerity? Good looks? Character? Conversational ability? Asked to rank such attributes, most intellectuals put physical attractiveness near the bottom of the list. Of course. Sophisticated, intelligent people are not greatly concerned with such superficial qualities as good looks; they know that "beauty is only skin deep." At least they know that's how they ought to feel. As Cicero counseled, "The final good and the supreme duty of the wise man is to resist appearance.

2 This intuition that looks matter little may be another instance of our denying real influences upon us, for there is now a file drawer full of research studies indicating that appearance is a powerful determinant of initial attraction. The consistency and pervasiveness of this effect is startling, perhaps even disconcerting. Good looks are a great asset.

3 Like it or not, the fact is that a young woman's physical attractiveness is a moderately good predictor of how frequently she dates; a young man's attractiveness, slightly less a predictor of how frequently he dates. Does this simply imply, as many have surmised, that women are better at following Cicero's advice to "resist appearance"? Or does it merely reflect the fact that men more often do the inviting? If women were to indicate their preferences among various men, would looks be as important to them as to men?

4 Some researchers have addressed this question by providing men and women students with various pieces of information about someone of the other sex, including a picture of the person, or by briefly introducing a man and a woman, and later asking them how interested they would be in dating one another. In these experiments, women were virtually as much influenced by a man's looks as men were by a woman s.

5 Do the benefits of being good-looking spring entirely from one's being sexually attractive? Clearly not. Young children are favorably biased toward attractive children much as adults are biased toward attractive adults. When adults judge children they are similarly biased. Margaret Clifford and Elaine Hatfield showed Missouri fifth-grade teachers identical information about a boy or girl, but with the photograph of au attractive or unattractive child attached. The teachers who judged an attractive child saw the child as more intelligent and more likely to do well in school. Or think of yourself as a playground supervisor having to discipline an unruly child. Might you be tempted to give more benefit of the doubt if the child is attractive?

6 What is more, beautiful people, even if of the same sex, are assumed also to possess certain desirable traits. Other things being equal, they are guessed to be happier, more intelligent, more sociable, more successful, and more competent. When in need, they receive more help. When good things happen (for example, a promotion), attractive people are perceived as more responsible for the outcome than are unattractive people; when bad things happen, attractive people are seen as less responsible. To top it off, attractive people, more than unattractive people, are guessed to have personalities like one's own. Added together, the findings point to a physical-attractiveness stereotype: What is beautiful is good. Children are taught the stereotype quite early. Snow White and Cinderella are beautiful and kind; the witch and the stepsisters are ugly and wicked. As one kindergarten girl put it when asked what it means to be pretty, "It's like being a princess. Everybody loves you".

7 However, we should not overstate the potency of the attractiveness stereotype. To say that attractiveness is important, other things being equal, is not to say that physical appearance is always more important than other qualities. Attractiveness probably most affects first impressions; one's appearance is vivid, it draws immediate attention. As a relationship develops, appearance may diminish in importance. Nevertheless, first impressions are important, not only for one's prospects for dating, but also for job interviews. If first impressions are bad, there may never be a chance for second impressions. Indications are that attractiveness does figure strongly in hiring decisions. Moreover, as society has seemingly become more mobile and urbanized our contacts with doctors, colleagues, and neighbors more fleeting first impressions have probably become more important than ever before.

8 Is the physical-attractiveness stereotype accurate? Or was Leo Tolstoy correct when he wrote that it's "a strange illusion igher self-esteem. They are more assertive, though they are also believed to be more egotistical. They are neither more nor less academically capable (contrary to the negative stereotype that "beauty times brains equals a constant"). However, they are somewhat more socially polished.

9 Thus far, I have described attractiveness as if it were an objective quality like height, something some people have more of, some less. Actually, attractiveness is whatever the people of any given place and time find attractive. This, of course, varies. And even in a given place and time, there is (fortunately) some disagreement about who's attractive and who's not. Generally, though, "attractive" facial and bodily features do not deviate too drastically from the average. Noses, legs, or statures that are not unusually large or small tend to be perceived as relatively attractive.

10 We can conclude our discussion of attractiveness on a heart-warming note. Not only do we perceive attractive people as likable, but we also perceive likable people as physically attractive. Perhaps you can recall individuals who, as you grew to like them, became more attractive, their physical imperfections no longer so noticeable. For example, Alan Gross and Christine Crofton had University of Missouri students view someone's photograph after reading a favorable or unfavorable description of the person's personality. Those perceived as good appeared more attractive. Other researchers have found that the more in love a woman is with a man, the more physically attractive she finds him. Apparently Plato was right: "The good is the beautiful."