Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder

MADISON,
Wis. — There is more to beauty than meets the stranger’s eye, according
to results from three studies examining the influence of non-physical
traits on people’s perception of physical attractiveness.

The results, which show that people perceive physical appeal differently when
they look at those they know versus strangers, are published in the recently
released March issue of Evolution and Human Behavior.

While
these past studies do show which features people find physically appealing
after just a glance, they overlook the non-physical traits that may influence
a person’s perception of another’s beauty over time. In other words,
people may see physical attractiveness differently when they know that
person’s other qualities, usually invisible to strangers, says Kniffin.

Pressures selecting for the influence of non-physical traits on the perception
of physical beauty have operated across millennia. According to evolutionary
theory, many animals, including humans, are attracted to those who are likely
to increase their own fitness — the likelihood of surviving and reproducing.

In the case of humans, "the fitness value of potential social partners depends
at least as much on non-physical traits — whether they are cooperative, dependable,
brave, hardworking, intelligent and so on — as physical factors, such as smooth
skin and symmetrical features," says Wilson. "It follows that non-physical
factors should be included in the subconscious assessment of beauty."

This obviously explains why so many women find Bill Gates the
most attractive man on the face of the earth….

from a Univerisity of Wisconsin press release