EFFECTS OF PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS OF INFANTS ON PARENTAL BEHAVIOR

Possible effects of the physical attractiveness of infants on parental behavior were explored. Participants were 18 Caucasian couples with one child from three to five months of age. One hour videotapes of the infants at home with both parents present were scored for 13 behavioral and 2 global measures of parental behavior and 3 behavioral and 4 global measures of infant behavior. Full-length, color photographs of each mother, father, and infant were rated and ranked for physical attractiveness by 12 independent judges. The ratings and rankings were highly reliable. The mean ratings by the independent judges of the infants' physical attractiveness were significantly correlated with the fathers' scores on the meaures of negative statements, kisses, vocalizations to the infant, number of smiles, positive affect, and playfulness. These results indicated that the father was influenced by the infants' physical attractiveness and gave more attention to more attractive infants. The mean rating of the infants' physical attractiveness was correlated significantly with the mothers' scores on the measures of noncaretaking attention and positive statements. This indicated that, while the mother's behavior was influenced by the infants' physical attractiveness, the mothers' behavior was less influenced by the physical attractiveness of the infant than the fathers' behavior. Analyses of variance of the parents' scores on the dependent measures yielded no significant main effects for the physical attractiveness of the infant (two groups rated as high and low physical attractiveness). Significant interactions between the sex of the infant and the physical attractiveness of the infant suggested that the physical attractiveness of male and female infants influences parents differentially. Significant interactions between the sex of the parent and the physical attractiveness of the infant suggested that mothers and fathers are influenced by the physical attractiveness of their infants in different ways. The discrepancy between the physical attractiveness of the infant and the parent (mother or father) was not as influential as the physical attractiveness of the infant. Additionally, the parents were asked to rate their infants' physical attractiveness, and all of the parents' ratings were found to be higher than the highest mean rating by the independent judges on any infant. The parents' ratings of their infants' physical attractiveness were found to be a less accurate predictor of the parents' behavior than the mean ratings of infant physical attractiveness by independent judges. There were subtle, but definite, differences found in the behavior of parents toward attractive and unattractive infants, and the implications of this finding for child development and parent-infant relationships were discussed.