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= Evolutionary Theory within Historical and Modern-day Interpersonal Attraction = One of the first things that a human notices about another human being are their physical features, and how attractive the person appears to be. How somebody judges an individual’s physical features deems whether or not they are considered attractive, which is one of the many fundamental aspects of interpersonal attraction. To recap, interpersonal attraction is the process of a relationship being created on the basis on some sort of physical or mental attraction. Typically, however, interpersonal attraction focuses on more than just physical attraction. However within this broader topic, there are evolutionary perspectives attempting to explain the process of interpersonal attraction over time-especially within romantic relationships. In the evolutionary theories, physical attraction is emphasized for numerous reasons.

Physical Attraction within Evolutionary Theory
According to multiples studies, physical attraction is typically a key aspect when it comes to initiating interest towards a relationship with another person. One of the biggest factors within this physical attraction is sexual attraction. As a species, humans are innately driven to want to pursue the continuation of the human race. Reproduction is what ensures that an individual’s genetics will continue to be passed on to the next generation. That being said, it is beneficial and crucial for humans, or any species for that matter, to have this drive- otherwise extinction could very well be a possibility.

Historically, there have been all sorts of theories that have supported this idea. One of the more prominent biological and psychological theories was Charles Darwin’s theory on sexual selection. His theory, in simplified terms, said that one will pick a mate based on the differences seen across the species. The subject with the most successfully reproductive features is the subject that is chosen as a mate. However, sometimes this process of understanding what determines reproductive success and attractiveness between mates is quite vague.

There are a few universal characteristics that seem to appear more attractive reproductively to humans. Youth, body physique, height, facial features, evidence of secondary sexual traits, good health, and status are just a few of the known features that attract potential mates. These traits exemplify the positive characteristics that could be passed on to offspring. However, it is important to note that men and women have slightly different perspectives when it comes to mating. Men typically aim to reproduce in a quantity sense, whereas women innately want quality over quantity. Simply put, men want to have many children and women want genetically successful offspring.

Differences in Male and Female's Reproductive Focuses
When looking for a mate, evolutionary theory states that positive traits are essential for successful reproduction. In order to identify partners that have these qualities, there are certain characteristics that are important. Because evolutionarily males are typically more interested in the quantity of their reproduction, it is in their best interest to look for a partner who can fulfill that ideal. For males, having a partner that is youthful is most important. Youth is associated with fertility. Alongside youth, perceived physical beauty is also important because it is associated with reproductive fitness.

In the world of evolutionary theory, it seems that women’s goals associated with reproduction and finding a mate are a little bit more complicated. In terms of being physically attractive, for females it appears that mates who are physically attractive have the best genetics that can be passed to offspring. However, there is also a pattern that the males with the best genetics systematically tend to be the least invested in the care of their offspring. That being said, status is more important evolutionarily than physical attractiveness to females. Status is associated with resources and investing time and energy into the offspring and their survival.

Evolutionary Theory and Physical Attraction Across Time and Cultures
Considering that physical attraction is so fundamental within attraction and reproduction, it becomes very evident that physical characteristics become important within a society. Across time and space, women and men have manipulated their physical features so they are deemed as more attractive within their society and mate-worthy. Depending on the times and culture, what is considered attractive depends on the resource availability. For example, weight. During times of famine within a society, somebody who has a higher body-fat content might be considered more attractive. This would indicate they have resources to survive and potentially have healthier and stronger offspring. In a society that has a plentiful amount of food, this characteristic would not be found to be as attractive.

Models and social learning within a society are also a major influence in what is perceived as attractive. With media today, a social standard exists regarding what is attractive and what is not. Over time, this becomes integrated into society. The standards are always changing depending on times and any given culture.

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