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Chapter 5118Model comparisonsRegarding the immediate attention analysis, we found no clear differences in predictive accuracy between the three models (Supplementary Tables 9-11). Although the model that included Pre-date attractiveness rating had the highest expected log-predictive density, the differences with the models that included Post-date attractiveness rating (ΔelpdLOO = 10.5 [9.6]) or Date outcome(ΔelpdLOO = 14.0 [11.2]) as predictors were not robust due to the relatively high standard errors. Thus, while the model that incorporated Pre-date attractiveness rating as predictors had the highest predictive accuracy, there was no substantial difference in predictive accuracy with the two other models.Regarding the voluntary attention analysis, we found robust differences in predictive accuracy between the three models (Supplementary Tables 12-14). Namely, the model that included Pre-date attractiveness rating had a substantially higher predictive accuracy than the models included Post-date attractiveness rating (ΔelpdLOO = 100.1 [17.4]) or Date outcome (ΔelpdLOO = 133.5 [17.9]) as predictors. Thus, the model comparisons suggested that pre-date attractiveness ratings might be a better predictor of voluntary attention than post-date attractiveness ratings or date outcome.DiscussionHere we combined a naturalistic speed-date paradigm with cognitive tasks on attentional biases to investigate how physical attractiveness shaped processes of immediate and voluntary attention, using a dot-probe task and a preferential looking paradigm, respectively. First, consistent with previous literature, we found considerable variation in attractiveness ratings between subjects. With regard to immediate attention, we found that only men’s attention was modulated by attractiveness, but we found no consistent association between date outcome and immediate attention. With regard to voluntary attention, we found that both men and women looked longer at faces that they rated as attractive before their date. Furthermore, participants showed more attention towards the faces of people that they later indicated they wanted to date, suggesting that voluntary attention can to some extent reflect mate choice for both men and women. However, model comparisons showed that pre-date attractiveness ratings were more predictive of immediate and voluntary attention than date outcome and Tom Roth.indd 118 08-01-2024 10:41