Seductive eyes: Attractiveness and direct gaze increase desire for associated objects

Madelijn Strick; Rob W. Holland; Ad van Knippenberg

doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2007.05.008

Seductive eyes: Attractiveness and direct gaze increase desire for associated objects

Madelijn Strick^*, Rob W. Holland, Ad van Knippenberg

^*Corresponding author for this work

Leerstoel Bos

Radboud University Nijmegen

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Recent research in neuroscience shows that observing attractive faces with direct gaze is more rewarding than observing attractive faces with averted gaze. On the basis of this research, it was hypothesized that object evaluations can be enhanced by associating them with attractive faces displaying direct gaze. In a conditioning paradigm, novel objects were associated with either attractive or unattractive female faces, either displaying direct or averted gaze. An affective priming task showed more positive automatic evaluations of objects that were paired with attractive faces with direct gaze than attractive faces with averted gaze and unattractive faces, irrespective of gaze direction. Participants' self-reported desire for the objects matched the affective priming data. The results are discussed against the background of recent findings on affective consequences of gaze cueing. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1487-1496
Number of pages	10
Journal	Cognition
Volume	106
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2007.05.008
Publication status	Published - Mar 2008

Keywords

social gaze
attractiveness
reward
classical conditioning
wanting
liking
FACIAL ATTRACTIVENESS
AUTOMATIC ACTIVATION
REWARD VALUE
EXPRESSION
HUMANS
FACES

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10.1016/j.cognition.2007.05.008

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title = "Seductive eyes: Attractiveness and direct gaze increase desire for associated objects",

abstract = "Recent research in neuroscience shows that observing attractive faces with direct gaze is more rewarding than observing attractive faces with averted gaze. On the basis of this research, it was hypothesized that object evaluations can be enhanced by associating them with attractive faces displaying direct gaze. In a conditioning paradigm, novel objects were associated with either attractive or unattractive female faces, either displaying direct or averted gaze. An affective priming task showed more positive automatic evaluations of objects that were paired with attractive faces with direct gaze than attractive faces with averted gaze and unattractive faces, irrespective of gaze direction. Participants' self-reported desire for the objects matched the affective priming data. The results are discussed against the background of recent findings on affective consequences of gaze cueing. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",

keywords = "social gaze, attractiveness, reward, classical conditioning, wanting, liking, FACIAL ATTRACTIVENESS, AUTOMATIC ACTIVATION, REWARD VALUE, EXPRESSION, HUMANS, FACES",

author = "Madelijn Strick and Holland, {Rob W.} and {van Knippenberg}, Ad",

year = "2008",

month = mar,

doi = "10.1016/j.cognition.2007.05.008",

language = "English",

volume = "106",

pages = "1487--1496",

journal = "Cognition",

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publisher = "Elsevier",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Seductive eyes

T2 - Attractiveness and direct gaze increase desire for associated objects

AU - Strick, Madelijn

AU - Holland, Rob W.

AU - van Knippenberg, Ad

PY - 2008/3

Y1 - 2008/3

N2 - Recent research in neuroscience shows that observing attractive faces with direct gaze is more rewarding than observing attractive faces with averted gaze. On the basis of this research, it was hypothesized that object evaluations can be enhanced by associating them with attractive faces displaying direct gaze. In a conditioning paradigm, novel objects were associated with either attractive or unattractive female faces, either displaying direct or averted gaze. An affective priming task showed more positive automatic evaluations of objects that were paired with attractive faces with direct gaze than attractive faces with averted gaze and unattractive faces, irrespective of gaze direction. Participants' self-reported desire for the objects matched the affective priming data. The results are discussed against the background of recent findings on affective consequences of gaze cueing. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

AB - Recent research in neuroscience shows that observing attractive faces with direct gaze is more rewarding than observing attractive faces with averted gaze. On the basis of this research, it was hypothesized that object evaluations can be enhanced by associating them with attractive faces displaying direct gaze. In a conditioning paradigm, novel objects were associated with either attractive or unattractive female faces, either displaying direct or averted gaze. An affective priming task showed more positive automatic evaluations of objects that were paired with attractive faces with direct gaze than attractive faces with averted gaze and unattractive faces, irrespective of gaze direction. Participants' self-reported desire for the objects matched the affective priming data. The results are discussed against the background of recent findings on affective consequences of gaze cueing. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

KW - social gaze

KW - attractiveness

KW - reward

KW - classical conditioning

KW - wanting

KW - liking

KW - FACIAL ATTRACTIVENESS

KW - AUTOMATIC ACTIVATION

KW - REWARD VALUE

KW - EXPRESSION

KW - HUMANS

KW - FACES

U2 - 10.1016/j.cognition.2007.05.008

DO - 10.1016/j.cognition.2007.05.008

M3 - Article

SN - 0010-0277

VL - 106

SP - 1487

EP - 1496

JO - Cognition

JF - Cognition

IS - 3

ER -

Seductive eyes: Attractiveness and direct gaze increase desire for associated objects

Abstract

Keywords

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