Critical periods in the development of men's and women's tastes in personal appearance

Evidence is presented for the existence of critical periods in the development of consumer tastes in personal appearance. Specifically, men appear to form lifelong preferences for the women's styles that were popular when these men were in their early 20s. By contrast, women's preferences generally and men's tastes for men's appearance styles appear to be formed during a broader and older range of years. These results support the role of both nostalgia and mere exposure in causing the critical-period phenomenon. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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