The Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky • Page 24

slightly sexier and considerably less bright. Attractive men were judged more likely to cheat on their wives. But strangely enough, they were also regarded as more attractive marriage partners. (Perhaps the women were willing to risk infidelity to marry a hunk.) Clearly, it's folly to make judgments about people simply on looks. But people do it all the time.

Cunningham underscores this notion when he says: "It's hard to take this as important because the judgments themselves are sort of trivial. But I think it's important because romantic relationships are important." But what good does it do to know all this? your prejudices, I think you're in a better position to respond intellectually, on a more rational basis." Even then, this problem remains: People like to be seduced. They like to imagine their lives can be transformed by a brand of beer or toothpaste or the next person they meet. "People are intrigued by the possibility of wonderful changes in their life, so occasionally they may be seduced into buying products that at some level they think is going to be magic," Cunningham says. "To save them only a few dollars, I would not deprive them of that pleasure.

I would prefer, however, that people make the most intelligent choices." On a sort of practical-romantic level, a woman considering cosmetic surgery ought to know that most men consider a bright smile to be more important than nose size. So she might put her money where her mouth is. And there are other considerations some of the real truths about human nature. "People ought to be aware of their biases," Cunningham says. "If people learn that they can be manipulated by someone just because they have a big smile they can learn to correct their own prejudices and biases.

"They can learn why they might feel like being nice to this person even though everything tells them not to. Anytime you're aware of Social skills. "If you get asked out on more dates, you learn more conversational skills. People who are good-looking tend to be better conversationalists than other people." "The Times made it seem as if I was promulgating the ideal measurements and that this would have depressing effects on all women who would immediately rush to the mirror and measure themselves," Cunningham says. "That's silly.

That's not what I was doing." The Columbia Journalism Review skewered him for failing to consider cross-cultural notions about beauty. (He did, but since he was working in Minnesota at the time, it was hard to find anyone but white folks to survey. Those white folks did study pictures of white, black and Oriental women, though.) Predictably, the study found its level of trivialization. Cunningham's wife, Dr. Anita Barbee, recalls: "He went on CBS Morning News and they made him measure all these movie stars' faces.

A lot of times people want to reduce it to something glitzy to say, 'You mean Elizabeth Taylor's not "That frustrates him. He really wants people to understand the theory as well as the outcome." Cunningham says, with some justifiable impatience: "I'm not looking for the perfect face. I am interested in those factors that determine male judgments. So the whole notion of being able to specify the 'ideal' is kind of a byproduct of a theoretical interest. Although I could, I've never really wanted to take all the measurements that I have and calculate and produce the 'ideal' face." A chap from the British Broadcasting Corp.

interviewed Cunningham and concluded his segment by telling the audience, "He didn't measure male faces. I wonder why." Eventually, Cunningham did measure male attractiveness. He surveyed 100 females at Elmhurst College in Illinois and 60 at the University of Georgia. Cunningham will present the results (cap-sulized on Page 5) this week at the American Psychological Association convention in Atlanta. Among the findings: Attractive men were judged as being less innocent, less naive and less modest than others.

Men with babyish faces were deemed more honest and responsible. Men with mature faces were seen as more dominant, KEY, GOOD-LOOKING, WHAT YOU GOT COOKING? Two areas in which good-looking people tend to be different from the rest of us, as seen by Michael Cunningham: Self-esteem. "People who are good-looking get treated better all through their lives, and as a consequence, they tend to be more self-confident. It's obvious. It's grossly unfair, but it's obvious." better-fed while growing up.

And their mothers were better-nourished during pregnancy. So, he says, the children "end up being not only more intellectually sophisticated, but better-looking sturdier, healthier, less susceptible to disease. So a lot of positive human traits tend to cluster together." Maturity. People with more "baby" faces tend to have less mature and independent personalities, he suspects. Research, including his own, is not strong in this area.

It's a notion, he says, that is "just kind of lurking out there." Two areas in which they might tend to be different: Intelligence. "IQ tends to be associated with a range of positive physical as well as mental qualities. It's a weak relationship, though." Cunningham explains that brighter children probably were Examples two and three, "cute-flippant" lines, can be an immediate turnoff, he says. In research carried out by Cunningham's students at Elmhurst College in suburban Chicago, the direct approach was most successful. Nine of 1 1 women responded by smiling or talking.

This is assuming that all other things are equal, of course. The Sam Malone character, played by Ted Danson, strikes many women as being excruciatingly handsome. They might find even his worst lines appealing or at least forgivable. PICKUP ARTISTRY Imagine this scene from "Cheers." Bartender Sam Malone spies a comely young stranger. His eyes glint.

So do his teeth. He swishes Perrier in his mouth. His eyebrows arch. His jaw juts. He struts.

He speaks. He drops not one but four lines on the newcomer. 1. "Hi. What do you think of the bar?" 2.

"Bet I can outdrink you." 3. "You remind me of someone I used to date." 4. "I feel a little embarrassed about this, but I'd like to know you. It took a lot of nerve for me to approach you, so can I at least ask what your name is?" At the end of the bar, Norm and Cliffy huddle in anticipation. They want to know: Which line will work? Michael Cunningham's research indicates the first and fourth lines have the best chance of success.

He calls the first the innocuous approach and the fourth the direct approach. SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 1988.