Individual differences in valuing mates' physical attractiveness.

To investigate correlates of valuing physical attractiveness in a mate, it was hypothesized that valuing physical attractiveness in a mate would correlate with sex and valuing promiscuous sex, status, personal physical attractiveness, beauty, and order. Men and women college students completed measures of the extent to which they valued physical attractiveness in a mate and other variables. Valuing physical attractiveness in a mate was correlated with sex (men valued physical attractiveness in a mate more than did women) and valuing promiscuous sex and status, and, for women, valuing personal physical attractiveness. The results were explained in terms of evolutionary theory.

Do men believe that physically attractive women are more healthy and capable of having children?

The purpose of this research was to test the hypothesis that men view physical attractiveness as an index of a woman's health and her capacity to have children. 21 men and 26 women from an introductory psychology course were shown photographs from 1972 of men and women college students, judged in 2002 to be attractive or unattractive. Subjects were asked to rate the photographed individuals' current health, the probability that they were married, the probability that they had children, and whether they had reproductive problems. The hypothesis was generally supported; the men rated the photographs of attractive women as healthier, more likely to be married, and more likely to have children.