The way the attractiveness of an average female is rated can be significantly changed by exposing the rater to media females, even for very short periods. In one study, subjects were exposed either to a series of advertisements containing female faces or to a control series of average females. Subsequent ratings of a target female's attractiveness were significantly lower following exposure to media depicted females. In a second study, male dormitory residents watching a popular TV show whose main characters are three strikingly attractive females were asked to rate a photo of an average female (described as a potential blind date for another dorm resident). These subjects rated the target female as significantly less attractive than did a comparable control group. A third experiment was conducted to rule out alternative explanations for the effects obtained in the first two studies. Judgments of the dating desirability of an average female were again influenced by the attractiveness of prior stimuli. In addition, the third study indicated a direct effect of informational social influence on physical attractiveness judgments. The influence of the mass media had an adverse effect upon raters' judgments of an average females' physical attractiveness and her desirability as a potential date. (Author/BN)