Social Influence, Sex Differences, And Judgements Of Beauty

Abstract

This study examined the processes that underlie sex differences in attraction and social influence. Participants (N = 306) evaluated their own expertise and the expertise of men and women in general on several dimensions, including physical attractiveness. Women claimed expertise in rating the physical attractiveness of men and babies. Men claimed expertise in rating the physical attractiveness of women. Women reported that men and women were equally expert in rating the attractiveness of women; In an experimental phase, participants rated the physical attractiveness of males, females, and babies. They were exposed to peer ratings done by either male peers or female peers. Women were influenced by both men and women when rating all three groups. In contrast, men were influenced only when rating babies, but then by both males and females. There was no evidence that men were influenced when rating adult targets. My results suggest that expertise is not the active ingredient in sex differences in social influence, at least in the domain of physical attractiveness.