Physical attractiveness perceptions in small groups: Associations with extraversion, smiling, and speaking time

Perceptions of physical attractiveness (PPA) play a significant role in social experiences. Yet most attractiveness research has relied on asking participants to rate the PPA of people they have never, and will never, meet. Evaluation of qualities revealed during social interactions is critical to developing a more comprehensive understanding of PPA as it manifests in naturalistic settings. As an initial step in examining PPA in a social context, we evaluated its association with two highly relevant social variables: extraversion and the smiling of the person being perceived (target). In an exploratory post hoc analysis, we additionally examined the speaking time of the target. This study involved 36-min social interactions among 80 three-person groups of strangers (N = 240). Before the social interaction, participants completed a self-report extraversion measure. After the interaction, they rated the PPA of each of their group members using a 10-point scale. Social interactions were recorded and, with participant permission, were coded for smiling using the Facial Action Coding System and for content-free speech, yielding measures of Duchenne smile duration and speaking time duration. PPA was higher among participants who were more extraverted (β=0.18, p < .01) and who spoke more (β=0.14, p = .02); these predictors remained significant when tested in the same model. Smiling was not a significant predictor of PPA (β=0.08, p = .22). In this initial study of PPA in a small-group context, there was evidence that non-appearance-based factors of the target (personality and speech behavior) also relate to PPA. Future PPA research that assesses multiple streams of verbal and nonverbal influence will offer a fuller understanding of attractiveness perception processes.