Zack Ross Matthew INglizian E. Kirsten Fleming

Penebaker Group

1. The Hypothesis is that when time to make a decision decreases the attractiveness of the options converge.

The researchers are trying to answer the question of does perceived attractiveness increase with diminished time to make a decision?

2. IV = Time
The IV is operationalized by three male/female experimenters asking perceived attractiveness questions about bar patrons at three different times, 9pm, 10:30pm, and midnight (the bars closed at 12:30 in this town).

3. DV= perceived attractiveness
The DV is measured on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 unattractive, 5 average and 10 is attractive).

4. The results were as predicted that opposite sex evaluation increased significantly as closing time approached, t (80) = 2.50, p < .02. No other effects approached statistical significance.

The study used a between subjects design.

No main effect or interaction attained significance for the sex of the subjects, indicating that males and females rated the other people in a similar fashion.

The results were consistant with the hypothesis.

5. A possible problem with the study is that at closing time subjects may have been more intoxicated than earlier in the night lowering standards and therefore rating the attractiveness of men and women higher. [However, only opposite sex patrons received higher ratings closer to closing time; ratings for same sex patrons stayed relatively unchanged.]