Anthropological Review • Vol. 61, pp. 31-48, Poznań 1998 Standard of physical attractiveness Betina Kujawa, Jan Strzałko Abstract The research was conducted in order to corroborate the validity of the hypotheses that (1) there are certain com- mon criteria of physical attractiveness of the face, and hence divergence of assessments between persons judging attractiveness is reduced, regardless of their sex or age; (2) assessment of the physical attractiveness of human faces is a property of the cognitive system; its criteria emerge early in the course of the individual development and do not change with age; (3); the most attractive faces will be characterised with trait variants close to the mean values for a given population. Computer averaged faces will be perceived as more attractive than actually existing faces, since they bear the greatest resemblance to the mental prototype of a face. Betina Kujawa, Jan Strzaiko 1998; Anthropological Review, vol. 61, Poznań 1998, pp. 31-48, figs 4, tables 2. ISBN 83-86969-35-0, ISSN 0033-2003 Attractiveness as a subject of study DARWIN [1871] was the first scientist to introduce the thesis that the choice of a spouse is strongly determined by his/ her appearance. He did that in his work on human sexual selection. Over a cen tury later the development of sociobiol ogy kindled interest in this topic and resulted in studies on the impact of physical attractiveness of man on the shape of social relationships. Sociobiolo gists, equipped with new methodological concepts, started to deliver frequently very surprising explanations to numerous social phenomena branded as “cultural universalia” [MURDOCK 1967]. However, combining virtues, such as beauty and Institute of Anthropology, Adam Mickiewicz University Fredry 10, 61-701 Poznań goodness can be dated back to antiquity. The fact that this mental stereotype is still alive was confirmed in 1970s by social psychologists DlON, BERSCHEID, WALSTER [1972], From that time on it started to function almost as an advertis- ing slogan: What is beautiful is good. Its authors indicate a considerable influence a person’s appearance bears on the emer- gence of concrete expectations of the observer towards this person. Compared with less attractive individuals, attractive people are ascribed personalities that are socially more acceptable. They are also envisaged to have happier and more sat- isfactory lives. Such attitudes are formed even towards children and infants dif- ferentiated according to their “beauty” [STEPHAN, LANGLOIS 1984]. MCCABE’S [1984] and DION’S [1974] studies indi- cated that unattractive children are per- ceived as older than their attractive peers, which may result in “higher” expecta-