Do our pupils affect how attractive we are?

Abstract

In order to investigate whether our pupils affect how attractive we are, an experimental technique was used, variables were manipulated and data recorded.

The aim of this study was to investigate how the size of our pupils affect how attractive we are perceived to be.

The method involved fifty participants who looked at two pictures and rated their attractiveness.

It was hypothesised the pictures of people with dilated pupils will be rated more attractive.

A chi-square test of association at a significance level of p=0.05 revealed that the experimental hypothesis was accepted and the null hypothesis rejected.

The data collected illustrated that having larger pupils increases the attractiveness and that constricted pupils made us less attractive.

The implications of this study, its limitations and suggestions of follow up studies will be further discussed.

Introduction

Arousal affects the body in many ways. It relaxes the bronchi, strengthens the heartbeat, inhibits activity in the digestive system, contracts the blood vessels and dilated pupils. These are all part of the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system, which comes into play when we are aroused of alerted. The changes due to the sympathetic branch help us to prepare for ‘fight or flight’ according to ‘Cannon.’ When we see someone who is attractive, our pupils dilate. If they find us attractive their pupils will also dilate. In the same respect, people with dilated pupils seem to be more attractive according to a study conducted by Hess. Psychologists argue that this is a form of sub conscious communication. My experiment is based on the initial experiment by Hess. In his experiment, he showed participants two almost identical pictures of a woman. The only difference is that in one of the pictures her pupils were modified to be dilated. He asked his participants to state which picture was more attractive. He found that the majority of participants preferred the picture with dilated pupils although they did not actually know what the difference was between the two pictures or why they preferred the chosen picture.

Hess conducted a similar experiment to research further the effects of arousal on the autonomic nervous system and pupils. He showed ale participants pictures of half naked women and observed how their pupils dilated or constricted. He found that the majority of their pupils were dilated apart from the homosexual participants.

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Pupils also dilate in low lighting. The scientific explanation for this is that it is to allow more light in. As expected, in bright light, the iris constricts the pupil, which reduces the light allowed to enter. The pupil, which is the centre of the iris is controlled by autonomic reflexes which change the tension in the smooth muscle of the iris. It regulates the amount of light that enters the eye. It acts like a diaphragm does for a camera. This is perhaps why romantic restaurants use low lighting as it would make people look more attractive to each other.

In the middle ages, Italian women used to use parts of the atropine plant (also known as deadly nightshade) as eye drops to dilate their pupils so that they could conform with the latest fashion trends and look more attractive. It was given the name ‘belladonna’ which when translated from Italian to English means beautiful woman.

Aims

Based on the research above, the aim of my experiment is to investigate if our perceived attractiveness differs depending on weather our pupils are dilated or not.

Hypothesis

The experimental hypothesis is that participants will rate the pictures of people with dilated pupils as more attractive. The null hypothesis is that there will be no significant difference between which of the pictures is perceived to be more attractive.

Method

Design:

An experimental procedure, in particular a field experiment was used in which was used in which all other variables apart from the independent and the dependant were fixed. The independent variable was weather the person in the picture had dilated or constricted pupils. The results that were recorded were the dependent variable. The participants were tested individually and away from all the other students to avoid the risk of conformity and also so that others do not over hear the debriefing of the experiment or the answers that the participants use. To test for significance, a chi-square test of association was used with a significance level of p=0.05. This type of test will produce nominal data.

Participants:

The target population were the sixth form of Sponne School, Towcester which is rural town situated in Northamptonshire. These students were aged 16/18 and of mixed sex. Twenty-five male participants and twenty female were selected by opportunity sampling using the students that were located in the common room.

Materials:

Materials used consisted of the following:

Pictures of a female and a male with a clear view of constricted pupils
Computer with paint package
Colour printer
Internet Connection

Procedure:

A picture of a female and a male with constricted pupils were found on the Internet and a duplicate copy was made of them. The copy of each picture was then modified using the paint package off a computer so that the pupils appear dilated. They were then printed off the male pictures side by side on one sheet of paper and the pictures of the female on another page. The forty participants were then asked to state which of the male pictures they perceive to be more attractive and then which of the female pictures. The results were then recorded and the participants debriefed and allowed to look at the pictures again if desired. It was then made clear that they should not discuss the aims of the experiment to anyone who had not yet taken part in the experiment.

Results

See appendix 1 for tables, one and two which illustrate the difference in the results. The differences show that there is a evident difference between the two female pictures but not so much for the male pictures.

In order to test the significance of the test, a chi-square test of association was performed. The test was chosen because of its suitability for comparing the difference between frequency distributions or an association between two categorical variables.

Statistical results:

The chi-squared test can be found on appendix 3.

The calculated value of X was 6.42, which is greater than the critical value of 3.48. This shows that there was a significant difference between the attractiveness of the pictures with dilated pupils and the pictures with constricted pupils. Because of this, the null hypothesis is rejected.

Discussion

The aim of this discussion was to see what affect the size of our pupils have on our perceived attractiveness. The results show that if our pupils are dilated, we are seen to be more attractive.

My experimental hypothesis was accepted as it stated that participants with rate the picture of the people with dilated pupils will be rated more attractive than the pictures with constricted pupils. This was the result of my experiment therefore the null hypothesis was rejected as it stated that there would be no difference in which picture would be seen as more attractive.

This study was based on the initial study by Hess therefore my results can be compared with his. The basic results were the same as his experiment although not to the same extent. More of his participants choose the picture with dilated pupils rather than constricted pupils. This could be for a number of reasons. One of them is that I chose opportunity sampling to choose the participants that took part. All of these participants were students so my findings cannot be generalised to the whole population.

Another explanation is that I used a male picture as well as a female picture whereas Hess only used a female picture. The significance of this is that the male picture with constricted pupils could be seen as more attractive as the picture with dilated pupils may intimidate both males and females. Females may be sub consciously unaware that they prefer the male with constricted pupils as he seem the ‘safer’ option. It would be quite scary if a complete male stranger was aroused by them. Males may be the same as this. When looking at the results in the table you can see that less of the participants perceived the male with dilated pupils as more attractive.

Overall, my experiment found that people with dilated pupils are perceived as more attractive.