Facial Attractiveness:
The Effects of Labeling from Individual and Social Perceptive

Abstract An examination of

Because the paper is relatively short, consider removing "in-depth" how the effects of labeling based on facial attractiveness impacts an individual’s self-esteem, social interaction, self-perception and quality of life. These two sentences need to be revised. Both sentences are incomplete by themselves.

The following paper is an examination of the effects that labeling based on facial attractiveness impact an individual’s self esteem, social interaction, self perception, and quality of life. Research has revealed how labeling in a variety of settings; from social encounters in school to the business sector, as well as across the span of adolescence to adulthood, has taken a toll on personal development. This paper also looks at the personal and social ideas of attractiveness, along with the possible consequences of perceived attractiveness on personal and professional outcomes.

What is facial attractiveness? Is it a personal opinion or is it a predestined hormonal attribute of the human race? Does attractiveness play a role in our daily lives? And if so does facial attractiveness have a meaning of higher intelligence? One may ask these questions when searching for that long awaited answer to why are people judged by appearance and why does society place such high value on attractiveness. Attractiveness does not make a person intelligent. Outward appearance has no effect of how ones gray matter receives and obtains information. Only the use of the mind by expansion thru education generates intelligence. So why as a society do we place such values on facial attractiveness and at what cost to our children does this label of attractiveness have.
Principe and Langlois state, “Ubiquitous automatic preferences for attractive faces influence almost every social relationship people have, no matter how brief or long lasting”. (Langlois et al., 2000; Langlois, Ritter, Casey, &Swain, 1995). Using cognitive averaging and perceptual fluency theories, one can argue that facial attractiveness is an individual preference related to how the brain perceives and process the visual stimuli. On an evolutionary level one could say the more attractive, the more desirable, the healthier, the smarter and the better genes for reproducing the same. Therefore, looking at the humanistic hormonally influenced reaction to visual stimuli, facial attractiveness presents itself as aan instinctive mechanism for reproducing. In the social interactions of adolescents, it encompasses many social levels from the home to school. Teachers make preconceived judgments in the class room based on a child’s appearance of facial attractiveness. This child is pretty or more handsome than another is and so in doing, the teacher has accepted the more attractive child over the less attractive child. Furthermore, this could be giving the more attractive child an advantage in the classroom, leading to those deemed more attractive to perform better. Children that are more attractive are more popular as students in and out of the classroom. People assume more attractive children have a higher ability for adaptation to varying situations. This sets up the average child for feelings of inadequacy and potentially for failure. Less attention paid by teachers and peers can cause less attractive children to have self-esteem issues. In all reality, does facial attractiveness lead to better education, better paying careers, and the assumption that one is healthier? Body appearance and facial attractiveness do play a major role in the adolescents’ life, as well ashow they adjust to their own psychosocial surroundings. Most adolescent girls have dislikes for their features whether it is their weight or facial features. Adjusting is difficult for most adolescent’s females and males alike. Adolescents struggle to find their place in the order of their daily lives and body image as facial attractiveness plays a designing role. Are you citing two seperate sources in these quotes? if so, consider revising According to the article, this is a way for peers to gain ground in social circles or achieve status in peer groups. Whether inappropriate or not, this is a way adolescents express their frustration and interest in the opposite sex. Do adolescents know the difference between right and wrong behaviors, most do. However, as inappropriate as this behavior may may bebe, the behavior most certainly can be driven by attractiveness or unattractiveness. A bully willpick on the kids they feel are fat, ugly, or less intelligent and some bully’s pick on the most attractive kids to tear them down mentally for their own feelings of inadequacies. With this said, attractiveness, whether preconceived as a learned behavior or as a basic autonomic hormonal predestined attribute of human nature. One can see the affect on the individual’s social interactions along with the individual’s self-esteem.
As a society that bases its foundation on labels, one can ascertain that facial attractiveness and social interactions both apply to a successful career. One may ask, "What exactly is attractiveness?" According to the Webster’s dictionary “attractive – to attract, pleasing, charming, pretty ect.” Therefore, one can say by the use of adaptation, one can build oneself into an attractive individual by utilization of clothing and beauty products to create physical beauty. There the potential advantages lie, in the skill one uses. Not only does one need to be properly dressed for the specific occasion per say, but one must learn how to carry one’s self in a manner that is acceptable, professional, and pleasing to the powers that be in the chosen career field. This connectedness to the social and professional atmosphere can lead the way to being successful in the particular endeavor. However, if one is not appealing, for example has some type of physical malformation, grossly obese, or disfigured and cannot fit the norm for society’s preconceived notions of beauty, they would have a great disadvantage at excelling in anything due to the preconceived notions society has set forth. This does not mean the individual is not capable of performing or is any less intelligent than that of a more attractive individual. It just presents the less attractive individual with more obstacles of reaching and or obtaining the position desired. Attractiveness, affects ones psychological well-being. It affects how one perceives one’s own worth, which may impact all aspects of the individual’s life. Furthermore, many individuals spend hard-earned money on a multitude of products annually to better their appearance due to the preconceived ideations of what society as a whole presents as attractiveness.

From a physiological, evolutionary standpoint of understanding facial attractiveness, it is a survival mechanism built in to every living creature. Itallows for the survival of the healthiest, most attractive, and best fit of the species. When stimuli is introduced to the visual cortex of the brain, it triggers hormones to be released which in turn signals the individual’s natural response as to whether the subject matter is attractive or not. There is controversy or diverging opinions? Controversy implies that there would be documentation that could potentially be cited here as to exactly what facial features are triggers for attractiveness or unattractiveness. Is it symmetry, averageness, or hormone markers? In many countries there are similarities among the various groups as to what constitutes statistically pleasing facial attractiveness. The symmetry of the facial structure seems to be a common factor. The facial symmetry signals an advantage of coping skills in relation to the environment in which they present themselves as a collective. Furthermore, arguments consequently say that the “human preference for facial symmetry is not the result of psychological adaptations, but rather is a byproduct of the perceptual systems designmove citation inside of the period This sentence is confusing Overall, the information is unclear as to what exactly influences a person preference in the terms of averageness, vs. attractiveness. Reviewing hormone markers one can see that all males have the hormone Testosterone and females have Estrogen. These two specific hormones are linked to finding a mate for reproduction of all species including humans. Testosterone levels linked to facial bone development inmales presents itself in the pubescent age causing the bones to develop a more defined structure in the following areas: eyebrow, mandible and chin regions of the face and growth of facial hair. These signs are signals to the female that the male has matured and is capable of adjusting and performing his reproduction? family defense?. The female on the other hand also has her own traits that evolve with the development of hormone surges around development. Signaling the male that the female has matured, the female cheekbones become more prominent and the skin clears presenting that the female is mate ready. Overall, both have distinctive traits that are the results of hormonal triggers. That presents each to the other as attractive based on the chemical precursors of hormones and reproduction. Both male and females must find the other attractive, facially and physically to survive as a species. Whether it is a perceived qualification or associated mechanisms, facial attractiveness is a key note in daily life.
Individuals use facial recognition as a communication tool to connect with others. It is a way to relate to and designate positions in the hierarchy of schools, society, and in any given profession. Based upon how each individual perceives the other is how the individual is treated. Age, gender, and culture play a significant role on these perceptions of what is consideredfacial attractiveness. Facial attractiveness affects every individual’s psychosocial well-being. It divides the sexes, along with how each peer group reacts to each other. This can take a great toll on the adolescent’s self-esteem during the development years that may carry over into adult hood, affecting future behaviors, decisions, and outcomes for that individual. As a society obsessed with beauty, it serves a great injustice to those who do not meet society’s idealistic parameters for facial attractiveness.