|DSP 41| Do Looks Really Matter? What the Research Says - Dr. Gordon Patzer

Summary: What is the area of research of lookism and physical attractiveness. The surprisingly young age at which we begin to get judged and affected by our physical appearance (literally at day 1). The prevalence of judgement on looks stretching across every area of society from politics, law, and careers to dating and relationships. Personality and confidence count: How they relate to the impression you make with people. How the lives of men and women are impacted differently by their physical attractiveness. Growing trend: Women judging men more on physical attractiveness and men working on this part of them increasingly to improve it. How a woman's monthly fertility cycle changes what type of men she is attracted to and how important 'looks' are in her decision. Important point: The longer you know someone and the more they know about you, the higher your physical attractiveness will appear to them. The central importance of facial features to your looks. Breaking it down into lips, nose, dimensions of face, eyes, specific wrinkles, eyes, hair and complexion. The role of testosterone for men in forming your facial features - and how boosting it can start changing and improving your facial features within days. Some of the upgrades that improve our physical attractiveness: dentistry, plastic surgery, fitness (and pot bellies) and health. The impact of age on your attractiveness: Specific areas that change and reduce your attractiveness as you age. How what women do (cosmetics, dress, plastic surgery) translates into big consequences in terms of how likely men are to choose her as a mate. Plastic surgery paradox: Artificial modification of your appearance through plastic surgery does enhance your attractiveness - but only if people don't know you've done it. The growing trend of genital rejuvenation in plastic surgery for women and men - Gordon Patzer's views on it. The specific areas you can influence to improve your attractiveness: height, education and status, personality, physical fitness, grooming and fashion. Experience and satisfaction: As we become more experienced the importance of our 'looks' bias declines and we get more conscious choice on which women we select and are attracted to.