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Cross-Cultural Differences in Perception of Physical Attractiveness
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by Maria Y. Khersonskaya and Randolph A. Smith* - Ouachita Baptist University
Category: Cross-Cultural
This study investigated cross-cultural differences in perception of physical attractiveness. Twenty-two international students (11 women and 11 men) and 22 White American students (11 women and 11 men) participated in the experiment. The participants rated physical attractiveness of portrait models (18 black-and-white college yearbook photographs of White American students; 9 men and 9 women) on a 5-point Likert scale. American participants perceived photographs of American students as more attractive than did European participants (p < .001). Sex of the participants did not affect the ratings. The results of the study support the existence of cultural influences on perception of physical attractiveness.