Predictors of Enhancing Human Physical Attractiveness: Data from 93 Countries

People across the world and throughout history have gone to great lengths to enhance their physical appearance. Evolutionary psychologists and ethologists have largely attempted to explain this phenomenon via mating preferences and strategies. Here, we test one of the most popular evolutionary hypotheses for beauty-enhancing behaviors, drawn from mating market and parasite stress perspectives, in a large cross-cultural sample. We also test hypotheses drawn from other influential and non-mutually exclusive theoretical frameworks, from biosocial role theory to a cultural media perspective. Survey data from 93,158 human participants across 93 countries provide evidence that behaviors such as applying makeup or using other cosmetics, hair grooming, clothing style, caring for body hygiene, and exercising or following a specific diet for the specific purpose of improving ones physical attractiveness, are universal. Indeed, 99% of participants reported spending \u3e10 min a day performing beauty-enhancing behaviors. The results largely support evolutionary hypotheses: more time was spent enhancing beauty by women (almost 4 h a day, on average) than by men (3.6 h a day), by the youngest participants (and contrary to predictions, also the oldest), by those with a relatively more severe history of infectious diseases, and by participants currently dating compared to those in established relationships. The strongest predictor of attractiveness-enhancing behaviors was social media usage. Other predictors, in order of effect size, included adhering to traditional gender roles, residing in countries with less gender equality, considering oneself as highly attractive or, conversely, highly unattractive, TV watching time, higher socioeconomic status, right-wing political beliefs, a lower level of education, and personal individualistic attitudes. This study provides novel insight into universal beauty-enhancing behaviors by unifying evolutionary theory with several other complementary perspectives

Evaluation des campagnes de prévention du tabagisme en réalité virtuelle : une approche expérimentale

The objective of this dissertation was to make a state-of-art of the use of immersive virtual reality (iVR) in health prevention psychology and apply its use to systematically evaluate tobacco prevention campaigns. After establishing the value of iVR as a tool for research, we conducted three experimental studies aiming at evaluating anti-tobacco posters presented in a realistic virtual environment (VE) recreating natural, incidental exposure to prevention. We studied prevention’s efficacy on attitudes and cravings toward tobacco, as well as memorization of the posters. We found that when incidentally exposed to tobacco prevention posters, individuals were more likely to form positive attitudes toward tobacco when the exposure duration increased (Study 1). However, a more sustained gaze toward posters led to more negative attitudes toward tobacco (Study 2), and incidental exposure to negative preventive posters seemed to lead to more negative attitudes toward tobacco than other types of framing (positive vs neutral). Finally, when presented with advertising within the same VE, attitudes toward tobacco were no longer impacted by prevention posters (Study 3). Regarding memorization, prevention posters were poorly recognized, except for negative posters (Study 2). Memorization of preventive posters is better when negatively framed, or in an advertising-dominant environment. Altogether, this dissertation points to a lack of effects of anti-tobacco preventive posters to robustly impact both attitudes and memorization when recreating an ecological context in iVR mimicking real life incidental exposure to such campaigns. Perspectives and recommendations are given to improve current tobacco prevention campaigns and their future evaluation.L'objectif de cette thèse était de faire un état de l'art de l'utilisation de la réalité virtuelle immersive (iVR) en psychologie de la santé et d'appliquer son utilisation à l'évaluation systématique des campagnes de prévention du tabagisme. Après avoir établi l’intérêt de l'iVR comme outil de recherche, nous avons mené trois études expérimentales visant à évaluer les affiches préventives anti-tabac présentées en environnement virtuel (VE) récréant une exposition incidente à la prévention. Nous avons étudié son efficacité sur les attitudes, les envies de fumer, et sur la mémorisation des affiches. Nous avons constaté que lors d'une exposition incidente à des affiches de prévention du tabagisme, les individus étaient susceptibles d'avoir des attitudes plus positives envers le tabac lorsque la durée d'exposition augmentait (Étude 1). Cependant, un regard plus soutenu vers les affiches entrainait des attitudes plus négatives, et l'exposition à des affiches cadrées négativement semblait conduire à des attitudes plus négatives que les autres types de cadrage (positif, neutre, Étude 2). Enfin, lorsqu'elles sont présentées avec de la publicité dans le même VE, les attitudes envers le tabac ne changent pas (Étude 3). En ce qui concerne la mémorisation, les affiches préventives sont peu reconnues, sauf les affiches négatives (Étude 2). La mémorisation des affiches préventives est meilleure dans un environnement majoritairement publicitaire. Cette thèse met en évidence une absence d'effets des affiches préventives anti-tabac sur les attitudes et la mémorisation lors de la recréation d'une exposition incidente dans un contexte écologique en iVR. Des perspectives et recommandations sont données pour améliorer les campagnes de prévention du tabagisme et leur évaluation future

Evaluation des campagnes de prévention du tabagisme en réalité virtuelle : une approche expérimentale

L'objectif de cette thèse était de faire un état de l'art de l'utilisation de la réalité virtuelle immersive (iVR) en psychologie de la santé et d'appliquer son utilisation à l'évaluation systématique des campagnes de prévention du tabagisme. Après avoir établi l’intérêt de l'iVR comme outil de recherche, nous avons mené trois études expérimentales visant à évaluer les affiches préventives anti-tabac présentées en environnement virtuel (VE) récréant une exposition incidente à la prévention. Nous avons étudié son efficacité sur les attitudes, les envies de fumer, et sur la mémorisation des affiches. Nous avons constaté que lors d'une exposition incidente à des affiches de prévention du tabagisme, les individus étaient susceptibles d'avoir des attitudes plus positives envers le tabac lorsque la durée d'exposition augmentait (Étude 1). Cependant, un regard plus soutenu vers les affiches entrainait des attitudes plus négatives, et l'exposition à des affiches cadrées négativement semblait conduire à des attitudes plus négatives que les autres types de cadrage (positif, neutre, Étude 2). Enfin, lorsqu'elles sont présentées avec de la publicité dans le même VE, les attitudes envers le tabac ne changent pas (Étude 3). En ce qui concerne la mémorisation, les affiches préventives sont peu reconnues, sauf les affiches négatives (Étude 2). La mémorisation des affiches préventives est meilleure dans un environnement majoritairement publicitaire. Cette thèse met en évidence une absence d'effets des affiches préventives anti-tabac sur les attitudes et la mémorisation lors de la recréation d'une exposition incidente dans un contexte écologique en iVR. Des perspectives et recommandations sont données pour améliorer les campagnes de prévention du tabagisme et leur évaluation future.The objective of this dissertation was to make a state-of-art of the use of immersive virtual reality (iVR) in health prevention psychology and apply its use to systematically evaluate tobacco prevention campaigns. After establishing the value of iVR as a tool for research, we conducted three experimental studies aiming at evaluating anti-tobacco posters presented in a realistic virtual environment (VE) recreating natural, incidental exposure to prevention. We studied prevention’s efficacy on attitudes and cravings toward tobacco, as well as memorization of the posters. We found that when incidentally exposed to tobacco prevention posters, individuals were more likely to form positive attitudes toward tobacco when the exposure duration increased (Study 1). However, a more sustained gaze toward posters led to more negative attitudes toward tobacco (Study 2), and incidental exposure to negative preventive posters seemed to lead to more negative attitudes toward tobacco than other types of framing (positive vs neutral). Finally, when presented with advertising within the same VE, attitudes toward tobacco were no longer impacted by prevention posters (Study 3). Regarding memorization, prevention posters were poorly recognized, except for negative posters (Study 2). Memorization of preventive posters is better when negatively framed, or in an advertising-dominant environment. Altogether, this dissertation points to a lack of effects of anti-tobacco preventive posters to robustly impact both attitudes and memorization when recreating an ecological context in iVR mimicking real life incidental exposure to such campaigns. Perspectives and recommendations are given to improve current tobacco prevention campaigns and their future evaluation

Does depicting consequences of actions in narratives bolsters the formation of propositional beliefs? First results from an experimental approach

We explored (i) whether narratives can influence viewers’ attitudes towards alcohol through evaluative learning and (ii) compared predictions from dual-process and single-process models of evaluative learning. In study 1, participants had to read vignettes, while they were exposed to TV show excerpts in study 2. Both studies (nstudy1 = 147; nstudy2 = 150) followed a 2 (valence: positive vs negative) x 2 (drinking consequences: yes vs no) study design. Implicit associations and propositional beliefs were then measured by an Implicit Association Test (IAT) and a Relational Responding Task (RRT) respectively. A multilevel meta-regression was conducted to provide cumulative evidence for our hypotheses. Our first study did not yield robust significant results in the direction of associative or propositional processes. Conversely, the results of study 2 and meta-analytic findings showed stronger evidence for (i) an effect of exposure to narratives on alcohol-related attitudes and (ii) in favor of propositional models. Simply presenting a stimulus within a valenced content had no effect on the IAT or RRT. We conclude that these results are more in line with inferential propositional models of evaluative learning than with dual-process models

Authoritarian attitudes are associated with higher autonomic reactivity to stress and lower recovery

International audienc

Predictors of enhancing human physical attractiveness: Data from 93 countries

People across the world and throughout history have gone to great lengths to enhance their physical appearance. Evolutionary psychologists and ethologists have largely attempted to explain this phenomenon via mating preferences and strategies. Here, we test one of the most popular evolutionary hypotheses for beauty-enhancing behaviors, drawn from mating market and parasite stress perspectives, in a large cross-cultural sample. We also test hypotheses drawn from other influential and non-mutually exclusive theoretical frameworks, from biosocial role theory to a cultural media perspective. Survey data from 93,158 human participants across 93 countries provide evidence that behaviors such as applying makeup or using other cosmetics, hair grooming, clothing style, caring for body hygiene, and exercising or following a specific diet for the specific purpose of improving ones physical attractiveness, are universal. Indeed, 99% of participants reported spending >10 min a day performing beauty-enhancing behaviors. The results largely support evolutionary hypotheses: more time was spent enhancing beauty by women (almost 4 h a day, on average) than by men (3.6 h a day), by the youngest participants (and contrary to predictions, also the oldest), by those with a relatively more severe history of infectious diseases, and by participants currently dating compared to those in established relationships. The strongest predictor of attractiveness-enhancing behaviors was social media usage. Other predictors, in order of effect size, included adhering to traditional gender roles, residing in countries with less gender equality, considering oneself as highly attractive or, conversely, highly unattractive, TV watching time, higher socioeconomic status, right-wing political beliefs, a lower level of education, and personal individualistic attitudes. This study provides novel insight into universal beauty-enhancing behaviors by unifying evolutionary theory with several other complementary perspectives