Abstract
A sample of 180 males and 180 females completed person perception measures for stimulus women who varied in physical attractiveness and permissiveness of sexual attitudes. The results indicated that both physical attractiveness and sexual attitudes had strong effects on peson perception. Physically attractive stimulus women were rated higher than the unattractive stimulus women on a physical appeal factor and an item measuring interpersonal attraction. The sexually conservative women were rated higher on an evaluative factor, lower on a personability factor, and higher on the interpersonal attraction item than the sexually permissive stimulus women. It was also found that the effects of physical attractiveness were greater for males than for females and that women rated the sexually permissive stimulus women less favorably than did men.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Berscheid, E., & Walster, E. Physical attractiveness. In L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 7). New York: Academic Press, 1974.
Byrne, D., London, O., & Reeves, K. The effects of physical attractiveness, sex, and attitude similarity on interpersonal attraction. Journal of Personality, 1968, 36, 259–271.
Dion, K. K., Berscheid, E., & Walster, E. What is beautiful is good. Journal of of Personality and Social Psychology, 1972, 9, 32–42.
Hunt, M. Sexual behavior in the 1970's. New York: Dell, 1974.
Miller, A. G. Role of physical attractiveness in impression formation. Psychonomic Science, 1970, 19, 241–243.
Wheeler, S. Sex offenses: A sociological critique. In J. Gagnon & W. Simon, (Eds.), Sexual deviance. New York: Harper & Row, 1967.
Winer, B. J. Statistical principles in experimental design. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1962.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Janda, L.H., O'Grady, K.E. & Barnhart, S.A. Effects of sexual attitudes and physical attractiveness on person perception of men and women. Sex Roles 7, 189–199 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00287805
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00287805