Reproduction

       On the lecture regarding Reproduction/Mating as a psychological motivation, it discussed briefly about gender disparities (specifically social status), as well as giving a brief overview on the science of attraction.
    In several of the YouTube clips, it follows participants and researchers who are involved in a study, measuring the attraction level participants had with each other. In this experiment, researchers discover that the higher number displayed on the participants uniform, the more immediate "interest" and attention they received when they were asked to pair up with any participant in the study. In this classic study, we see reflection of the "good gene hypothesis," which states that beauty level of an individual falsely assumes that the highly attractive person is more healthy and more intelligent.
      In the extension of this study, researchers wanted to test the public on how they viewed attraction and researchers discovered beauty standards have 3 broad categories: averageness, symmetry and sexual dimorphism (masculine/feminine).
      Moreover, researchers found a pattern when using the same participants, but giving them pseudonyms: fake jobs, cars and incomes. When researchers asked men and women to view the study participants and their fake bio (though, unknown to the public), they found women  to be more attracted to men who was more financially stable, and had a higher socioeconomic status.  As for the men in public, they found a woman to be more attractive by just looking at their physical characteristics. This observation is an example of structural powerless theory; additionally, this is a recurring theme throughout the Motivation of Reproduction lecture.