Chapter 8 Quiz

Instructions: Answer all questions. For multiple-choice questions, select the single best answer. For short-answer questions, write 2–4 sentences.

Question 1 (Multiple Choice)

The symmetry hypothesis in evolutionary psychology proposes that preferences for facial symmetry exist because symmetrical faces:

A. Are mathematically closer to the Golden Ratio and therefore signal mathematical competence B. Signal developmental stability, indicating genetic quality and resistance to pathogens C. Are produced only by individuals with high testosterone levels, signaling reproductive fitness D. Are aesthetically simpler to process and therefore preferred for cognitive ease

Question 2 (Multiple Choice)

In Rhodes et al.'s (2001) research on facial symmetry preferences, which methodological finding complicated the simple evolutionary account?

A. Participants could not distinguish symmetrical from asymmetrical faces under laboratory conditions B. The preference for symmetrical faces disappeared when only one half of the face (mirrored) was shown C. Men showed strong symmetry preferences but women showed none D. The effect was only present for faces of the rater's own racial group

Question 3 (Multiple Choice)

The averageness hypothesis proposes that composite faces (created by blending many individual faces) are attractive because:

A. Averaging produces faces that exactly match the Golden Ratio proportions B. Composite faces remind viewers of idealized faces seen in media C. Averaging cancels out idiosyncratic deviations, producing a prototype that signals genetic diversity and undisturbed development D. Composite faces are rated as more familiar, and familiarity drives attractiveness

Question 4 (Multiple Choice)

The "Golden Ratio" theory of facial attractiveness (the claim that faces with features at φ ≈ 1.618 proportions are universally most attractive) is best characterized as:

A. A well-replicated finding supported by multiple independent research teams B. A hypothesis with moderate empirical support that requires further cross-cultural testing C. A popular myth with little to no rigorous empirical support D. A finding that is true for female but not male facial attractiveness

Question 5 (Multiple Choice)

Tovée and colleagues' research on body weight preferences across populations found that:

A. Preferences for thin bodies were universal, supporting a biological account B. Preferences for heavier bodies were universal, contradicting Western aesthetic standards C. Ideal body weight varied substantially across populations, with food-insecure populations preferring heavier bodies D. Body weight preferences showed no meaningful variation across cultural contexts

Question 6 (Multiple Choice)

Colorism is best defined as:

A. Racism based on membership in a different racial category B. Discrimination based on skin tone gradient, often operating within racial groups as well as between them C. The evolutionary preference for skin colors that signal good health D. Media representation that excludes people of color entirely

Question 7 (Multiple Choice)

Margaret Hunter's research on colorism in the United States found that among Black and Latina women, lighter skin tone was associated with:

A. More favorable attractiveness ratings from evaluators, but no differences in economic or educational outcomes B. Higher educational attainment, higher income, and more favorable marital prospects, even after controlling for socioeconomic background C. Lower rates of romantic partnership due to perceived inauthenticity D. Better outcomes only in professional settings, not in romantic contexts

Question 8 (Multiple Choice)

The physical attractiveness halo effect refers to:

A. The finding that physically attractive people are more likely to be employed in "halo" professions such as modeling and acting B. The tendency for people who are physically attractive to assume others find them more attractive than they actually do C. The cognitive tendency to assume that physically attractive people also possess unrelated positive qualities such as intelligence and warmth D. The documented premium attractive people receive in wages and legal judgments, which forms a protective "halo" of advantage

Question 9 (Multiple Choice)

Becker et al.'s (2002) Fiji study is cited as evidence for the social construction of body ideals because:

A. Fijian women adopted Western body ideals within three years of television introduction, including increases in purging behavior B. Fijian men's body ideals changed dramatically but Fijian women's did not C. The Fiji study found no changes in body ideals following media exposure, challenging the social construction account D. Fijian aesthetic preferences were found to be identical to Western preferences prior to media exposure

Question 10 (Short Answer)

What does the finding that the symmetry–attractiveness correlation is stronger in countries with more homogeneous media environments (and weaker in countries with more aesthetic pluralism) suggest about the relationship between biology and culture in shaping attractiveness preferences? (2–4 sentences)

Question 11 (Short Answer)

Explain why the social construction account of beauty standards predicts that skin-tone preferences are malleable — capable of change with shifts in media representation and social context. Use one piece of evidence from the chapter to support your answer. (2–4 sentences)

Question 12 (Short Answer)

Describe two methodological limitations of research on the attractiveness premium (the documented economic and social advantages of physical attractiveness). How do these limitations affect how we should interpret the findings? (3–5 sentences)

Answer Key

For instructor use. Students should not have access to this section before completing the quiz.

  1. B — Developmental stability signal
  2. B — Preference disappeared with mirrored half-face
  3. C — Cancels idiosyncratic deviations; signals genetic diversity
  4. C — A popular myth with little to no rigorous empirical support
  5. C — Substantial cross-cultural variation; food insecurity associated with heavier preferences
  6. B — Within- and between-group discrimination based on skin tone gradient
  7. B — Higher attainment, income, and marital prospects even controlling for background
  8. C — Cognitive attribution of unrelated positive qualities to attractive individuals
  9. A — Western body ideals adopted rapidly post-television
  10. Accept answers that articulate: biology may set a baseline/weak prior, but cultural conditions (particularly media homogeneity) amplify or attenuate that signal; the strength of an evolutionary "signal" is itself culturally mediated.
  11. Accept answers that draw on: Alehegn's Ethiopia research, Becker's Fiji study, or historical shifts in Western ideals as evidence that preferences change with cultural/media context.
  12. Accept answers that identify two of: rater demographic bias (predominantly WEIRD/white/student raters); correlation vs. causation (confounds with class, grooming, social confidence); halo effect as mechanism not direct causal path; replication concerns with specific findings (e.g., legal judgment studies).