What are the factors that contribute to interpersonal attraction? How do men and women differ when choosing a mate?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Essay should include:

Factors which contribute to attraction are physical appearance, similarity, and reciprocity. There do appear to be cross-cultural similarities in what people find physically attractive in a mate. For women, large eyes, high cheekbones, and narrow jaws seem to be most attractive to men. However, European American males want to date slender women whereas African American and Latino men are more interested in larger women.
Cross-cultural studies indicate that in choosing a mate, there are distinct gender differences in what is viewed as important. Women tend to look for characteristics such as kindness, professional status, and dependability. Men, on the other hand, tend to look for physical allure and cooking ability. In general, men seem to place more emphasis on physical attractiveness, while women tend to place more emphasis on earning potential. This is evidenced in a study by Susan Sprecher and her colleagues (1994) in which she found that among 13,000 surveyed Americans, women were more willing to marry someone who had more money, was better educated, yet less attractive. Men were more willing to marry someone who earned less, but were less likely to marry someone who was not attractive.