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James W. Pennebaker et al. (1979) conducted the first experiment testing this observation. Using 52 males and 51 females as subjects at three bars near a college campus, experimenters asked individuals the following question: "On a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 indicates 'not attractive', 5 indicates 'average', and 10 indicates 'extremely attractive,' how would you rate the opposite-sex individuals here tonight." The experimenters took this survey at 9:00 pm, 10:30 pm and at midnight. Results showed that individuals' perception of people's attractiveness in the bar increased the later it got.
Theory
The freedom of potentially going home with someone in the bar is threatened as the night comes closer to ending, according to the reactance theory.[1][2]Dissonance theory has also been suggested as an explanation, proposing that as the night progresses, individuals’ intentions to leave with someone becomes stronger; however, leaving the bar with someone who they may find unattractive causes dissonance, increasing the perceived attractiveness of the potential mate.
Other studies
Following the first study performed by Pennebaker et al. in 1979, Nida and Koon (1983) found evidence of the closing time effect in a country and western bar but did not find it in a campus bar.[3] Gladue and Delaney (1990) found that individuals of the opposite gender became more attractive as a factor of time, but that photos of the opposite gender did not. They found that male participants rated the most attractive photos higher but ratings of the least attractive photos also decreased. Females showed no changes over time in their photo ratings of males.[4] Madey, Simo, Dillworth, and Kemper (1996) found the effect in a nightclub near a university, but only for participants not in a relationship.[5] The authors argued that only participants not in a relationship should experience a threat to their choice of companion. Sprecher et al. (1984) did not find a closing-time effect.[6]
Effect of alcohol
Johnco, Wheeler and Taylor (2010) measured the attractiveness of participants over a night while also controlling for the effect of alcohol consumption by measuring their blood alcohol content with a breathalyzer each time that they measured individuals' perceptions of physical attractiveness. They used BAC as a time varying covariate in a repeated measures design, with 87 participants at a beachside pub in Sydney, Australia on four consecutive Saturday nights, between 9 pm and 12 am. They found that both perceptions of attractiveness as well as BAC increased as a factor of time. They concluded that BAC explained a significant portion of the increase in opposite-sex attractiveness but that a substantial effect remains after adjusting for BAC.
Other possible explanations
One other possible explanation about the cause of this perception of higher attractiveness is "mere familiarity or exposure".[7] Previously seen stimuli may be perceived more positively than new stimuli. Another explanation comes from the commodity theory (Brock, 1968). According to commodity theory, as people find mates in the bar and leave with them, there is a scarcity of individuals left in the bar. This scarcity increases the desirability and perceived attractiveness of those left in the bar.
^Johnco, Carly; Wheeler, Ladd; Taylor, Alan (27 February 2010). "They do get prettier at closing time: A repeated measures study of the closing-time effect and alcohol". Social Influence. 5 (4): 261–271. doi:10.1080/15534510.2010.487650. S2CID 144441964. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
^"APA PsycNet". Psycnet.apa.org. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
^Madey, Scott F.; Simo, Melanie; Dillworth, David; Kemper, David; Toczynski, Anne; Perella, Althea (1996). "They do Get More Attractive at Closing Time, but Only when You Are Not in a Relationship". Basic and Applied Social Psychology. 18 (4): 387–393. doi:10.1207/s15324834basp1804_2.
^Sprecher, Susan; Delamater, John; Neuman, Nancy; Neuman, Michael; Kahn, Pam; Orbuch, David; McKinney, Kathleen (1984). "Asking Questions in Bars". Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 10 (3): 482–488. doi:10.1177/0146167284103017. S2CID 143468416.
^Zajonc, Robert B. (27 February 1968). "Attitudinal effects of mere exposure". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 9 (2, Pt.2): 1–27. doi:10.1037/h0025848. Retrieved 27 February 2022 – via DOI.org (Crossref).
Sources
Brehm, J. W. (1966). A theory of psychological reactance. New York: Academic.
Gilley, M. (1975). Don't all the girls get prettier at closing time. In The Best of Mickey Gilley (Vol. 2). Columbia Records. Written by Baker Knight, Singleton Music Company. New York: Broadcast Music, Inc.
Halberstadt, J., Rhodes, G., & Catty, S. R. (2003). Subjective and objective familiarity as explanations for the attraction to average faces. In F. Columbus (Ed.), Advances in psychology research (pp. 91–106). New York: Nova Science Publishers.
Nida, S. A., & Koon, J. (1983). They get better looking at closing time around here, too. Psychological Reports, 52(2), 657–658.
Pennebaker, J. W., Dyer, M. A., Caulkins, R. S., Litowitz, D. L., Ackreman, P. L., Anderson, D. B., et al. (1979). Don't the girls get prettier at closing time: A country and western application to psychology. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 5(1), 122–125.
The attractiveness of average faces is not a generalized mere exposure effect. Social Cognition, 23, 205–217.
Brock, T. C. (1968). Implications of commodity theory for value change. In Psychological foundations of attitudes (pp. 243–275). Academic Press.
January 01, 2023
closing, time, effect, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn, when, remove, these, template, messages, this, article, unclear, citation, style, references, used, made, clearer, with, different, consis. This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages This article has an unclear citation style The references used may be made clearer with a different or consistent style of citation and footnoting February 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations May 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message This article s lead section contains information that is not included elsewhere in the article If the information is appropriate for the lead of the article this information should also be included in the body of the article May 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Learn how and when to remove this template message Closing time effect refers to the phenomenon that people s perception of other people s attractiveness increases as it gets later into the night This observation was first coined by Mickey Gilley in his song Don t the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time in 1975 Subsequently it caught the attention of social psychologists who used scientific testing to gather evidence in support of the idea Contents 1 The first experiment 2 Theory 3 Other studies 4 Effect of alcohol 5 Other possible explanations 6 References 7 SourcesThe first experiment EditJames W Pennebaker et al 1979 conducted the first experiment testing this observation Using 52 males and 51 females as subjects at three bars near a college campus experimenters asked individuals the following question On a scale from 1 to 10 where 1 indicates not attractive 5 indicates average and 10 indicates extremely attractive how would you rate the opposite sex individuals here tonight The experimenters took this survey at 9 00 pm 10 30 pm and at midnight Results showed that individuals perception of people s attractiveness in the bar increased the later it got Theory EditThe freedom of potentially going home with someone in the bar is threatened as the night comes closer to ending according to the reactance theory 1 2 Dissonance theory has also been suggested as an explanation proposing that as the night progresses individuals intentions to leave with someone becomes stronger however leaving the bar with someone who they may find unattractive causes dissonance increasing the perceived attractiveness of the potential mate Other studies EditFollowing the first study performed by Pennebaker et al in 1979 Nida and Koon 1983 found evidence of the closing time effect in a country and western bar but did not find it in a campus bar 3 Gladue and Delaney 1990 found that individuals of the opposite gender became more attractive as a factor of time but that photos of the opposite gender did not They found that male participants rated the most attractive photos higher but ratings of the least attractive photos also decreased Females showed no changes over time in their photo ratings of males 4 Madey Simo Dillworth and Kemper 1996 found the effect in a nightclub near a university but only for participants not in a relationship 5 The authors argued that only participants not in a relationship should experience a threat to their choice of companion Sprecher et al 1984 did not find a closing time effect 6 Effect of alcohol EditJohnco Wheeler and Taylor 2010 measured the attractiveness of participants over a night while also controlling for the effect of alcohol consumption by measuring their blood alcohol content with a breathalyzer each time that they measured individuals perceptions of physical attractiveness They used BAC as a time varying covariate in a repeated measures design with 87 participants at a beachside pub in Sydney Australia on four consecutive Saturday nights between 9 pm and 12 am They found that both perceptions of attractiveness as well as BAC increased as a factor of time They concluded that BAC explained a significant portion of the increase in opposite sex attractiveness but that a substantial effect remains after adjusting for BAC Other possible explanations EditOne other possible explanation about the cause of this perception of higher attractiveness is mere familiarity or exposure 7 Previously seen stimuli may be perceived more positively than new stimuli Another explanation comes from the commodity theory Brock 1968 According to commodity theory as people find mates in the bar and leave with them there is a scarcity of individuals left in the bar This scarcity increases the desirability and perceived attractiveness of those left in the bar References Edit Steindl C Jonas E Sittenthaler S Traut Mattausch E Greenberg J 2015 Understanding Psychological Reactance PMC Zeitschrift fur Psychologie 223 4 205 214 doi 10 1027 2151 2604 a000222 PMC 4675534 PMID 27453805 Pennebaker et al 1979 Johnco Carly Wheeler Ladd Taylor Alan 27 February 2010 They do get prettier at closing time A repeated measures study of the closing time effect and alcohol Social Influence 5 4 261 271 doi 10 1080 15534510 2010 487650 S2CID 144441964 Retrieved 27 February 2022 APA PsycNet Psycnet apa org Retrieved 27 February 2022 Madey Scott F Simo Melanie Dillworth David Kemper David Toczynski Anne Perella Althea 1996 They do Get More Attractive at Closing Time but Only when You Are Not in a Relationship Basic and Applied Social Psychology 18 4 387 393 doi 10 1207 s15324834basp1804 2 Sprecher Susan Delamater John Neuman Nancy Neuman Michael Kahn Pam Orbuch David McKinney Kathleen 1984 Asking Questions in Bars Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 10 3 482 488 doi 10 1177 0146167284103017 S2CID 143468416 Zajonc Robert B 27 February 1968 Attitudinal effects of mere exposure Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 9 2 Pt 2 1 27 doi 10 1037 h0025848 Retrieved 27 February 2022 via DOI org Crossref Sources EditBrehm J W 1966 A theory of psychological reactance New York Academic Gilley M 1975 Don t all the girls get prettier at closing time In The Best of Mickey Gilley Vol 2 Columbia Records Written by Baker Knight Singleton Music Company New York Broadcast Music Inc Halberstadt J Rhodes G amp Catty S R 2003 Subjective and objective familiarity as explanations for the attraction to average faces In F Columbus Ed Advances in psychology research pp 91 106 New York Nova Science Publishers Nida S A amp Koon J 1983 They get better looking at closing time around here too Psychological Reports 52 2 657 658 Pennebaker J W Dyer M A Caulkins R S Litowitz D L Ackreman P L Anderson D B et al 1979 Don t the girls get prettier at closing time A country and western application to psychology Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 5 1 122 125 The attractiveness of average faces is not a generalized mere exposure effect Social Cognition 23 205 217 Brock T C 1968 Implications of commodity theory for value change In Psychological foundations of attitudes pp 243 275 Academic Press Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Closing time effect amp oldid 1100633166, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
