This study examined how the image of females smoking was interpreted and whether that interpretation varied according to the smoking behaviour and the sex of the raters. Male and female smokers and non-smokers were shown poses of female models with or without a cigarette or just wearing glasses and rated them for attractiveness, intelligence and extent of being sexually interested. Models in the control pose (not smoking and no glasses) were considered most attractive and the least attractive when wearing glasses. On the `sexually interested' ratings the smoking pose models were rated as the most sexually interested; whereas those wearing glasses were rated as the least sexually interested. Models wearing glasses were rated as the most intelligent and the smokers as the least intelligent. Smokers rated the smoker models as more attractive, but similar in intelligence to non-smokers. Non-smokers however, rated the smokers as less intelligent and less attractive than the non-smokers. No significant gender interactions were found indicating a consensus of agreement across the sexes. It was concluded that the crossed similarity-attraction effect influenced ratings on all dimensions in relation to the smoking pose.

Key words: smoking, glasses, attractiveness, sex differences