'What is beautiful is loved': Physical attractiveness in love relationships in a representative sample

In any case, and to conclude, it could be affirmed that PA seems to behave as a more complex variable than is normally thought, and that it often acts in an underhand or latent manner. In fact our results suggest, contrary to the current trend, the importance of PA with respect to love, despite the habitual cynicism of human beings, in general little inclined to acknowledge that they are victims of its effect. Whether this influence should be more generally acknowledged (insofar as it acts on loving relations, as we have shown), or whether it is desirable to reduce that influence (insofar as it could overshadow or obstruct the operation of other presumably less "frivolous" factors), or indeed whether both things should be done at once, constitute questions beyond the scope of this study.

REFERENCES

Ainsworth, M. D., Blehar, M. C., Waters, E. Y 8c Walls, S. (1978). Patterns of attachment. Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc.

Ajzen, I. (1977). Effects of information on interpersonal attraction: Similarity vs. affective value. In S. Duck (Ed.): Theory and practice in interpersonal attraction. London: Academic Press.

Barron, A., de Paul, F, Martinez-lnigo, D. & Yela, C. (1999). Beliefs and romantic myths in Spain. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 2(1), 64-73.

Berscheid, E. & Reis, H. R (1998). Attraction and close relationships. In D.T Gilbert, S. T Fiske, and G Lindzey (Erie.). The Handbook of Social Psychology. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Bowlby J. (1969). Attachment. New York: Basic Books.

Burns, G. & Farina, A. (1992). The role of physical attractiveness in adjustment. Generic, Social and General Psychology Monographs,118(2), 157-194

Buss, D. M. (1994). The evolution of desire: Strategies of human mating. NY Basic Books.

Buss, D. M. (1998). The Psi of human mate selection. In Crawford, C.B. & Kreba, D. L. (Eds.): Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology: Ideas, issues and applications. pp. 405-429. Mahwach NJ: L.E.A.

Byrne, D. (1971). The attraction paradigm. New York: Academic Press.

Centers, R (1975). Sexual attraction and love: An instrumental theory. Springfield. Illinois: Charles. C. Thomas.

Chen, N. Y, Shaffer, D. R. & Wu, C. (1997). On physical attractiveness stereotyping in Taiwan: A revised sociocultural perspective. Journal of Social Psychology,137(1), 117-124.

Clark, M. S. & Fiske, S. T (Eds.) ( 1982). Affect and Cognition. Hillsdale. Erlbaum.

Critelli, J. W., Myers, E. J. & Loos, V E. ( 1986). The components of love: Romantic attraction and sex role orientation. Journal of Personality, 54(2), 354-370.

Dion, K. K. & Dion, K. L. (1993). On the love of beauty and the beauty of love: Two psychologists study attraction. In GG Branigan & M. R Men-ens (Eda): The Social Psychologists: Research Adventures. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Dion, K. K., Berscheid, E. & Walster, E. (1972). What is beautiful is good. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 24(3, 283-290.

Feingold, A ( 1992). Good-looking people are not what we think. Psychological Bulletin,111(2) 304341.