Wow, you look attractive! But what can I know about you? Physically attractive traits : their underlying information and role in mate choice

Abstract

Physical attractiveness is one of the many desired characteristics that people seek in a romantic partner. Studies have shown that physical attractiveness in a mate is one of the traits that is constantly preferred and sought after regardless of whether people are pursuing short-term or long-term relationships. From the evolutionary perspective, mate preferences as exhibited by humans today could be shaped by recurring selective pressures over evolutionary time. Several theories have also posited reasons why humans find certain features to be highly attractive. One similarity across these theories is the proposition that person’s physically attractive traits could be signaling certain underlying information about him/her. Following the main guiding question of what exactly could these traits be signaling about a person, this paper aims to review studies and present evidences that reveal the information that could possibly underlie a person’s physically attractive traits. From an understanding of the possible information conveyed by these traits, the role that physically attractive traits play in mate selection is discussed and clarified.