Attractive or Unattractive

There are many aspects of individuals that make them attractive or unattractive to others. Similarity of values, beliefs, needs, and personality, in addition to physical attractiveness are among some of the most common attractive features (Woodall, Burgoon, & Markel, 1980). However upon first meeting, especially in public settings, there is often little self-disclosure between individuals. Initial impressions made here cause individuals to form expectations of future encounters, and thus affect the nature of subsequent social interactions (Riggio & Friedman, 1985). Research has examined aspects of attraction in the preferred sex (Feinman & Gill, 1977) which suggests that males find light colored hair and eyes most attractive in females. Conversely, they found that females prefer dark hair and dark eyes in men (Feinman & Gill, 1977). Because the face is the primary focus during interpersonal communication (Riggio & Friedman, 1985), we were led to wonder whether the type of smile a person exhibited would influence attraction in the opposite or preferred sex.

The eyes are the primary facial region that shows differences between genuine and forced smiles (Frank, Ekman, & Friesen, 1982). Based on this study, and on facial behavior studies done by French anatomist G.B. Duchenne, two main muscle groups illustrate the distinction between genuine and non-genuine smiles. Forced or posed smiles activate the zygomatic major, the muscle primarily in control of the cheeks, whereas genuine smiles are said to also cause a contraction of the orbicularis oculi muscle which surrounds the eye (Boraston, Corden, Miles, Skuse, & Blakemore, 2007). Furthermore, the outer part of the orbicularis oculi, which causes the skin outside the eye to wr...

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...male participants found men in red shirts significantly more attractive than the same men in white shirts. Furthermore, when asked, participants of the study reported that they did not know the nature or purpose of the experiment, which suggests that color has the power to influence opinions on an unconscious level. A similar study showed that red, as the color of sex and romance, enhanced the attractiveness of women (Elliot & Niesta, 2008). Males in this study rated women in red higher on perceived physical attractiveness and sexual attraction, which includes both initial attraction and potential romantic interest.

Our research aims to explore the effects of smile type and background color on attraction. Based on available research and theories, we hypothesize that models with genuine smiles and red backgrounds will be perceived and rated as more attractive.