A Derivative-Based Model of Marginal Returns in Physical Attractiveness: Height, Facial Aesthetics, and Resource Allocation
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Traditional attractiveness research employs ordinal rankings or linear scales, failing to capture the non-linear marginal returns of different physical traits in regards to the perception of aesthetics by females. We propose a mathematical framework using calculus to model how improvements in height and facial aesthetics contribute to overall attractiveness in males residing in the West. Height exhibits diminishing marginal returns f(x) = A*sqrt(x), with improvements above average providing minimal additional benefit. Facial aesthetics exhibit accelerating returns f(x) = bx^c, with improvements in the 6-10 (colloquially referred to as the 6+/10) range generating disproportionate gains. These functions intersect at approximately 3.75, corresponding to the 30th percentile in both traits (approximately 5'7" in height and a 4/10 facial rating) and suggesting that only for individuals at the very bottom of both distributions does height improvement marginally outperform facial enhancement. For the vast majority of individuals above this threshold, facial improvement offers superior marginal returns, with this advantage accelerating dramatically in the 6-10 range where facial improvements can be over 5× more impactful than equivalent height improvements.
Author: Youn, Ethan
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7115177888
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