perception of beauty from visual cues theory

[Bruce]

Hi Folks,

Thought you might find this interesting. Keep in mind that this is often presented as the classic

antithesis to the pheromone theory of attraction. The way to fit this into the pheromone view is that the

perception of these visual clues as attraction/beauty is a conditioned reflex. IE: Attraction is initially created

by pheromones alone, then just like Pavlov\'s dogs who salivate to the sound of a bell, with continued contact

with the oposite sex various visual clues begin to excite us as well.

Bruce
-----------
Biology: Sex and Dung

Beetles

Why don’t women like square-jawed macho men? And what’s all this fuss over J. Lo’s bellybutton?

By

Michael Hastings
NEWSWEEK INTERNATIONAL

Nov. 10 issue — Why is sugar sweet? To Victor Johnston, it’s not an idle

question. Johnston, a biopsychologist at New Mexico State University, takes evident pleasure in pointing out that if

you were a dung beetle, dung would taste like sugar on your tongue. “Sugar is a molecule, and we have evolved a

brain to generate a positive response for its taste.� The same, he says, goes for our perception of beauty—a perfect

smile, an ample bosom, a muscular bicep. All, basically, dung.
 Â
ÂÂ Â Â ÂNOT THE MOST romantic of

notions, especially from a man whose career has been devoted to researching, in essence, what makes a person

beautiful. Johnston’s quest to understand attractiveness has led him not to the glitz and glamour of Vogue photo

shoots or Nicole Kidman’s Oscar party, but to the lab. In the past 10 years, he and other beauty researchers have

managed to explain in some detail how beauty is a product of evolution, a Darwinian mechanism for the survival of

the species, that is both hard-wired into our brains and a product of culture.
    On his Las Cruces, New

Mexico, campus, Johnston designed a computer-graphics video that illustrates the spectrum of human beauty, starting

with the “hypermasculinized� face (think Schwarzenegger) and morphing gradually to the other extreme, the

“hyperfeminized� face (think Kidman). Johnston has shown the video to thousands of test subjects, both men and

women, and asked them to choose at which point along the spectrum they find their ideal face. Men, it turns out,

unanimously pick as most attractive the face with the most feminine features, which corresponds to a woman with the

most accentuated “hormonal markers.� These are facial characteristics developed during puberty from the release of

estrogen, which causes the lips to swell, the jaw to narrow and the eyes to widen. These features indicate

fertility, and because they’re biologically programmed, they’re common to all cultures.
    Women perceive

beauty in a more nuanced way. They aren’t always attracted to the hypermasculinized, bushy-eyebrowed, wide-jawed

caveman type, flush with testosterone. Their choice of a mate is informed by evolutionary complexities involving not

only potential fertility and health but perceived ability to protect the female’s offspring through wealth and

power.

  ÂMore evidence that men are hamstrung by their biology comes from psychologist Devendra Singh of

the University of Texas at Austin. In a study of the female form throughout history, Singh confirmed last year that

the most important feature of the female body, from the ancient Egyptians to the streetwalkers on Sunset Boulevard,

has been the hip-to-waist ratio. “What is the fascination with Jennifer Lopez’s bellybutton?� he asks. Because it

draws attention to her hourglass form, a sign of fertility. Fortunately, evolution has left some wiggle room for

culture. Ian Penton-Voak of Britain’s Sterling University demonstrated that faces you see as a child contribute to

your vision of an ideal mate. It’s called “imprinting,� a process by which your brain makes a template of an ideal

face that’s an average of all the faces you’ve seen, and it works for men and women. Not very romantic, but it’s

better than dung.

[Pancho1188]

Don\'t forget, Bruce, that many people also believe that people with more attractive features are

also more likely to produce more pheromones as well.

Regarding the part at the end: It\'ll be scary to see what

the men/women of the future will do mating-wise when all they do is watch pretty people on television all day. This

will become one idealistic world, and reality will have hell to pay.

[Sexyredhead]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />

Regarding the part at the end:

It\'ll be scary to see what the men/women of the future will do mating-wise when all they do is watch pretty

people on television all day. This will become one idealistic world, and reality will have hell to pay.

<hr

/></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

I dunno. That may only be in the US. I think Europe, and especially the

UK (no offense to our members from there), sometimes tries to find the ugliest people they can to star in TV shows

and movies. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

[bjf]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[CptKipling]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
</font><blockquote><font

class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />

Regarding the part at the end: It\'ll be scary to see what the men/women

of the future will do mating-wise when all they do is watch pretty people on television all day. This will become

one idealistic world, and reality will have hell to pay.

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

I

dunno. That may only be in the US. I think Europe, and especially the UK (no offense to our members from there),

sometimes tries to find the ugliest people they can to star in TV shows and movies.

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">



[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] offense

taken!

Just kidding [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] There are a few hippo-croco-pigs, Big

Brothers Jade, anyone? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

Back to the subject though...



</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
Why is sugar sweet? To Victor Johnston, it’s not an

idle question. Johnston, a biopsychologist at New Mexico State University, takes evident pleasure in pointing out

that if you were a dung beetle, dung would taste like sugar on your tongue. “Sugar is a molecule, and we have

evolved a brain to generate a positive response for its taste.� The same, he says, goes for our perception of

beauty—a perfect smile, an ample bosom, a muscular bicep. All, basically, dung.

<hr /></blockquote><font

class=\"post\">

This is what I keep trying to tell my friends, but they are strangly loath to accept it. There

was a discussion at school about this kind of thing, and every idea I brought to the table (fairly well established

ideas, discussed on the forum) was dismissed for their own preconceived deductions (just a normal day on the phero

forum for some -ahem-). Things like the hip-waste ratio, and even </font><blockquote><font

class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
“hormonal markers.� These are facial characteristics developed during

puberty from the release of estrogen, which causes the lips to swell, the jaw to narrow and the eyes to widen. These

features indicate fertility, and because they’re biologically programmed, they’re common to all cultures.

<hr

/></blockquote><font class=\"post\">
...and I thought that was pretty obvious!

We can add another layer to

what is being said in that text, which basically says hormone levels shape our bodies and faces at puberty. As JVK

and others have said, and as many others may have read or deduced, these key hormones (estrogen and testosterone)

not only shape our bodies, but give us extra pheromones.

</font><blockquote><font

class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
Women perceive beauty in a more nuanced way. They aren’t always attracted

to the hypermasculinized, bushy-eyebrowed, wide-jawed caveman type, flush with testosterone. Their choice of a mate

is informed by evolutionary complexities involving not only potential fertility and health but perceived ability to

protect the female’s offspring through wealth and power.

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">
This is

interesting, as it implies that it would be fairly easy to create a very successfull mix of only a few pheromones

to attract men to women, but for men the task is a lot harder.

Well thats my new favourite excuse anyway.

[franki]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />


I think Europe, and especially

the UK (no offense to our members from there), sometimes tries to find the ugliest people they can to star in TV

shows and movies. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

<hr /></blockquote><font

class=\"post\">

I think you never watched italian or spanish television then....

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

[Icarus]

Too true! Also, the UK has some strange fascination with ultra-tanned, grey haired wrinkly old men

that seem to be covered in a layer of varnish. This is no joke. The number of this kind of \'host\' is getting

out of hand.

I\'m glad I don\'t have a TV.

Steve

[Kari]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
Too true! Also, the UK has some

strange fascination with ultra-tanned, grey haired wrinkly old men that seem to be covered in a layer of varnish.

This is no joke. The number of this kind of \'host\' is getting out of hand.

I\'m glad I don\'t have a

TV.

Steve

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Then, there are the American newscasters-- I think

they all own stock in hair gel companies.

[Pancho1188]

American Philosophy:

Attractive Girl + ANYTHING = Ratings!!!

Recent and Classic

Examples:
Attractive Girls + Beer = More Beer Sales
Attractive Girls + Newscaster Position = More Interest in the

News (Check the latest CNN hires)
Attractive Girls + Weather Report = Men Suddenly Watching the Weather

Channel
Attractive Girls + Attractive Girls = Any Reality TV Show or Anything on MTV

I guess that\'s why the

height of all television peaked at Seinfeld. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] (J/K)

Seriously,

though, I live in a sick, sick country. I don\'t want to sit here and stare at hot women on TV; I want to find

one and go out and do things with her. The media is really pushing the \'pretty people with problems\' angle.

Just watch ANYTHING on the WB. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

This ends my rant for the day

against popular culture. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

[franki]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />


Seriously, though, I live in a

sick, sick country. I don\'t want to sit here and stare at hot women on TV; I want to find one and go out and do

things with her.

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Nothing wrong with looking at hot women on tv.

I wish we (in Northern-Europe) had the amount of hotties on tv as they have in tv shows in Italy (and Spain).

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Charisma]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
</font><blockquote><font

class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />


Seriously, though, I live in a sick, sick country. I don\'t want to

sit here and stare at hot women on TV; I want to find one and go out and do things with her.

<hr

/></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

Nothing wrong with looking at hot women on tv. I wish we (in

Northern-Europe) had the amount of hotties on tv as they have in tv shows in Italy (and Spain).

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

I second that!

All we have are ugly old wrinckled cows [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img] It\'s time they start

doing the news (the other stuff) on MTV too! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Biohazard]

I agree. Humans are social beings, who rely on the \"higher brain\" 99.9% of the time. Of course,

some instinctive behaviors are still left around, as evolution doesn\'t necessarily remove things completely

(think appendix, tailbone, etc). Aren\'t the phero receptors in the human nose somewhat underdeveloped?



With that said, I don\'t believe synthetic pheros will turn a FUGLY person into an instant sex magnet --

even though you\'d figure otherwise from phero fans. Of those who don\'t achieve any success with phero use,

maybe it\'s because they aren\'t physcially attractive in the first place (trying to offend as minimally as

possible!) or it\'s because their social behavior prevents them from \"getting their foot in the door\" in the

first place. I know there\'s a lot of older, robust guys here reporting hits (great!). But keep in mind that

physical looks in men generally don\'t mean as much to women as the other way around. How many 50+ guys are

considered sexy? How many 50+ women? In our world, Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan can play superhero roles at

their age. Anyone think Lucy Liu and Cameron Diaz can make a sequel to Charlie\'s Angels when they\'re closing

in on social security checks?

Regardless, you still need to go the traditional routes when trying to score

with the opposite sex even if you\'ve got on pheros.

[Holmes]

</font><blockquote><font class=\"small\">Quote:</font><hr />
American Philosophy:

Attractive Girl

+ ANYTHING = Ratings!!!

Recent and Classic Examples:
Attractive Girls + Beer = More Beer Sales
Attractive Girls

+ Newscaster Position = More Interest in the News (Check the latest CNN hires)
Attractive Girls + Weather Report =

Men Suddenly Watching the Weather Channel
Attractive Girls + Attractive Girls = Any Reality TV Show or Anything on

MTV

I guess that\'s why the height of all television peaked at Seinfeld.

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] (J/K)

Seriously, though, I live in a sick, sick country. I

don\'t want to sit here and stare at hot women on TV; I want to find one and go out and do things with her. The

media is really pushing the \'pretty people with problems\' angle. Just watch ANYTHING on the WB.

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]


<hr /></blockquote><font class=\"post\">

I (belatedly)

agree. It\'s just nauseating.

Interesting thread.


Holmes

[EXIT63]

I like latin soap operas.

[Holmes]

Insects and religion gets me goin\'.


Holmes