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Does attractiveness buy happiness? “It depends on where you’re from”
Author(s) -
PLAUT VICTORIA C.,
ADAMS GLENN,
ANDERSON STEPHANIE L.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
personal relationships
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.81
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1475-6811
pISSN - 1350-4126
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-6811.2009.01242.x
Subject(s) - attractiveness , social connectedness , moderation , psychology , happiness , operationalization , social psychology , physical attractiveness , product (mathematics) , philosophy , geometry , mathematics , epistemology , psychoanalysis
Previous studies document that attractiveness predicts life outcomes, including well‐being and social connectedness. This study investigates whether the attractiveness–outcomes link is especially strong in settings, such as many urban areas, that promote relationship constructions as a product of personal choice. This link may weaken in settings, such as many rural areas, that promote less voluntaristic‐independent relationship constructions. Analyses of survey data from a national representative (United States) sample supported these hypotheses. Attractiveness (operationalized as waist‐to‐hip ratio) predicted well‐being and social connectedness among urban ( n = 257) but not rural ( n = 330) women. Social connectedness mediated the urban–rural moderation of the attractiveness/well‐being link. Findings suggest that frequently observed attractiveness effects are the product of particular, modern social contexts that promote relationship choice.