Radio
Radio is all about sound, voices, music. So a typical question would be whether voice or sound could cue Physical Attractiveness? If so what cues does a sound or a voice give? There is nothing physical about the sound and yet it impacts the attractiveness of this invisible person.

It is said just as symmetry in features and scent are important and indicate genetic fitness, a person’s voice can give clues about his/her reproductive ability For instance, it’s no myth that good looking men often have deep voices. When at Northumbria University in the UK both men and women were asked to rate voices on attractiveness, dominance, confidence, and sexiness. They rated men with deep voices higher than those with high voices. When the pictures of these men were rated independently by the same subjects, the findings were corroborated by the fact that attractive faces and the deep voices were highly correlated.

Voices can gives clues to physical characteristics and listeners might be better at relating the two traits than they think they are. A 2002 study showed that people are able to match a speaker’s voice with a photograph over 75 percent of the time and that those people with symmetrical traits (a sign of genetic fitness) were rated as having more attractive voices.

Similarly in men, an attractive voice was correlated with a higher shoulder-to-hip ratio (broad shoulders, narrow waist); in women, voice attractiveness was correlated with waist-to-hip ratio (waist narrower than hips).
Research has shown that a person’s voice can influence whether others find him alluring or unattractive. But once you connect the face with the voice, does the sound actually correspond to a knockout—or a letdown? Apparently according to a Japanese study, the attractiveness of voice and physical appearance had independent effects on interpersonal attraction.

Radio Programmes online:

BBC Radio 4:

THE SCIENCE OF ATTRACTION
Have psychologists finally unlocked the secrets of attraction? Why do British men prefer slimmer women whereas the Samoans fall for females with the fuller figure? Philosopher David Hume declared “Beauty is no quality in things themselves; it exists merely in the mind that contemplates them; and each mind perceives a different beauty.”

But is it really the case that beauty, particularly personal Physical Attractiveness, defies scientific measurement because it’s purely subjective? Dr Viren Swami, Evolutionary and Social Psychologist and Research Associate at the University of Liverpool and the author of The Missing Arms of Venus de Milo, Reflections of the Science of Attractiveness explains why beauty can be objectively and scientifically defined.

Listen to the programme in the Real Media Player
Source effects in purchase decisions: the impact of Physical Attractiveness and accent of salesperson
Article Abstract:

The categorization theory is used to confirm the theory that Physical Attractiveness and accent of a salesperson influence purchase intentions of a potential buyer. Physical Attractiveness is generally perceived as connoting competence and integrity. A standard English accent is largely preferred over a foreign-accented English. However, the study is geographically limited and does not extend to other products and services to establish a global precedent.

author: Kaynak, Erdener, Kara, Ali, DeShields, Oscar W., Jr.
Publisher: Elsevier B.V.
Publication Name: International Journal of Research in Marketing
Subject: Business, international
ISSN: 0167-8116
Year: 1996


(1) Program: “Sins of Omission” with Host Paulie Abeles
Interview title: “GORDON PATZER on Sins of Omission with Host Paulie Abeles”
Length: 60 minutes 00 seconds
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/nqr/2010/02/16/sins-of-omission-with-host-paulie-abeles

(2) Program: “The State We’re In” broadcast in ten languages by RNW, NPR, etc.
Interview title: “The right to make yourself beautiful: Beauty’s double edge”) broadcast
Length: 11 minutes 30 seconds, excerpted/edited by RNW from one hour interview.
http://download.omroep.nl/rnw/smac/cms/beauty__s_double_edge_20090718_44_1kHz.mp3