Why Beauty Matters

2006 ◽  
Vol 96 (1) ◽  
pp. 222-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus M Mobius ◽  
Tanya S Rosenblat
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
Social Skills ◽  
Physical Attractiveness ◽  
Transmission Channels ◽  
Level Of Confidence ◽  
Beauty Premium ◽  
Oral Skills ◽  
Physically Attractive

We decompose the beauty premium in an experimental labor market where “employers” determine wages of “workers” who perform a maze-solving task. This task requires a true skill which we show to be unaffected by physical attractiveness. We find a sizable beauty premium and can identify three transmission channels: (a) physically attractive workers are more confident and higher confidence increases wages; (b) for a given level of confidence, physically attractive workers are (wrongly) considered more able by employers; (c) controlling for worker confidence, physically attractive workers have oral skills (such as communication and social skills) that raise their wages when they interact with employers. Our methodology can be adopted to study the sources of discriminatory pay differentials in other settings.

Romantic Partners in a Market Perspective: Expectations about What Ensures a Highly Desirable Partner

2013 ◽  
Vol 113 (2) ◽  
pp. 605-618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felipe N. Castro ◽  
Wallisen T. Hattori ◽  
Maria Emília Yamamoto ◽  
Fívia A. Lopes
Keyword(s):  
Social Skills ◽  
Statistical Models ◽  
Physical Attractiveness ◽  
Romantic Partners ◽  
Evolutionary Perspective ◽  
Status Characteristics ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Biological Market ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Market Perspective

This study used the biological market perspective and influential statistical models from the marketing field to investigate males' and females' expectations regarding which combination of characteristics are most relevant in ensuring desirable partnerships for same-sex individuals. Thus, 358 Brazilian undergraduates assessed eight descriptions of same-gender stimulus targets (formulated with different levels of physical attractiveness, social skills, and current or prospective social status) and evaluated the overall desirability of the targets' expected or probable partners. From the possible combinations, three groups emerged: for one group, mainly composed of men, status characteristics were the most important attributes; for the others, mostly composed of women, social skills or physical characteristics were identified as most important in appealing to a desirable partner. This work expands the understanding of variability in male and female romantic expectations, and its implications are discussed from an evolutionary perspective.

scholarly journals Effects of student physical attractiveness

2005 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 148-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stevan Krnjajic
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Physical Attractiveness ◽  
Peer Acceptance ◽  
Interpersonal Perception ◽  
Social Stereotypes ◽  
First Impression ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Implicit Personality ◽  
Personality Theories ◽  
Physically Attractive

Implicit personality theories suggest that people draw conclusions about other persons by using a relatively small number of visible features. The formation of "the first impression" is influenced by the factors, such as sex, age, appearances, race or nationality. Frequently, conclusions based on those factors lead to developing social stereotypes. Attractiveness is a good example of "the first impression" effect, because physical attractiveness entails the creation of impression about another person along a relatively great number of dimensions. Experimental paradigm, introduced in the sphere of interpersonal perception around the mid-20th century, led to a relatively great number of studies on stereotype based on physical attractiveness. One of the most often quoted conclusions of studies on physical attractiveness is summarized by the idiom "what is beautiful is good". For example, socially desirable personality traits (responsibility kindness, energy quality, modesty), more successful private and professional life, are all attributed to physically attractive persons. In addition physical attractiveness is coupled with positive expectations, peer acceptance, academic achievement etc. On the basis of studies on the "what is beautiful is good" stereotype, we have situated our analysis within the domain of roles regulating social interaction between teachers and students i.e. effects of physical attractiveness on teacher expectations, peer acceptance and academic achievement.

scholarly journals No compelling evidence that more physically attractive young adult women have higher estradiol or progesterone

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benedict C Jones ◽  
Amanda C Hahn ◽  
Claire I Fisher ◽  
Hongyi Wang ◽  
Michal Kandrik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Adult ◽  
Mate Choice ◽  
Sex Hormones ◽  
Physical Attractiveness ◽  
Adult Women ◽  
Compelling Evidence ◽  
Young Adult Women ◽  
Waist To Hip Ratio ◽  
Physically Attractive ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractPutative associations between sex hormones and attractive physical characteristics in women are central to many theories of human physical attractiveness and mate choice. Although such theories have become very influential, evidence that physically attractive and unattractive women have different hormonal profiles is equivocal. Consequently, we investigated hypothesized relationships between salivary estradiol and progesterone and two aspects of women’s physical attractiveness that are commonly assumed to be correlated with levels of these hormones: facial attractiveness (N=249) and waist-to-hip ratio (N=247). Our analyses revealed no compelling evidence that women with more attractive faces or lower (i.e., more attractive) waist-to-hip ratios had higher levels of estradiol or progesterone. One analysis did suggest that women with more attractive waist-to-hip ratios had significantly higher progesterone, but the relationship was weak and the relationship not significant in other analyses. These results do not support the influential hypothesis that between-women differences in physical attractiveness are related to estradiol and/or progesterone.

Physical Attractiveness and Sex-Role Stereotypes in Impression Formation

1976 ◽  
Vol 43 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1251-1255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael K. Hill ◽  
Harry A. Lando
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Identity ◽  
Impression Formation ◽  
Physical Attractiveness ◽  
Sex Role ◽  
Sex Role Stereotypes ◽  
Female Bias ◽  
Physically Attractive ◽  
Female Subjects ◽  
Trait Ratings

The effects of physical attractiveness and sexual identity upon attributions had yet to be addressed within a single paradigm. 40 male and 40 female subjects rated the performance of a physically attractive or unattractive male or female depicted in a photograph on modified versions of the sex-typed tasks employed by Deaux and Emswiller (1974). Results indicated “beauty-is-good” effects for both general trait ratings and specific attributions of performance but failed to indicate an anti-female bias in subjects' attributions.

Effects of Physical Attractiveness on Perception of Social Skill

1982 ◽  
Vol 54 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1039-1042 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barrie J. Guise ◽  
Cynthia H. Pollans ◽  
Ira Daniel Turkat
Keyword(s):  
Physical Attractiveness ◽  
Social Skill ◽  
Skill Development ◽  
The Other ◽  
Social Skill Development ◽  
Clinical Issues ◽  
Physically Attractive ◽  
The Relationship

To evaluate whether physically attractive individuals are seen as more socially skilled than unattractive ones, nine color photographs of a female in attractive, neutral, and unattractive presentations were developed and evaluated by independent raters. Three photographs received 100% agreement and were selected for the three conditions. 45 males were randomly assigned to the three groups and completed the Rathus Assertiveness Schedule based on their evaluation of the photograph. Groups shown the attractive photograph differed from the other two groups but the latter two did not. A moderate, positive, and significant correlation of .43 between attractiveness and perceived assertiveness was observed. The relationship between physical attractiveness and social skill development is discussed as are clinical issues.

Unpacking the Beauty Premium: Organizational Sponsorship, Physical Attractiveness and Career Success

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 (1) ◽  
pp. 11367
Author(s):  
Karyn Dossinger ◽  
Connie Wanberg ◽  
Yongjun Choi ◽  
Lisa Michelle Leslie
Keyword(s):  
Physical Attractiveness ◽  
Career Success ◽  
Beauty Premium ◽  
Organizational Sponsorship

Internal-External Control, Achievement Orientation and Physical Attractiveness of College Students

1976 ◽  
Vol 38 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1205-1206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas F. Cash ◽  
Phyllis J. Begley
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Locus Of Control ◽  
Internal Control ◽  
Physical Attractiveness ◽  
External Control ◽  
Achievement Orientation ◽  
Female College ◽  
Physically Attractive

The validity of the stereotype by which physically attractive persons are attributed greater internal control and greater success orientation than unattractive persons was studied among college students. For 32 male and 32 female college undergraduates, while attractiveness was unrelated to achievement orientation, attractive individuals were in fact more internal in their locus of control.

Sex-Stereotyped Traits, Physical Attractiveness, and Interpersonal Attraction

1977 ◽  
Vol 41 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1311-1322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve A. Nida ◽  
John E. Williams
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Physical Attractiveness ◽  
Interpersonal Attraction ◽  
Stimulus Person ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Marital Partner ◽  
Basic Procedure ◽  
Interpersonal Situations ◽  
Physically Attractive

Two distinct categories of information operative in interpersonal situations are what a person “looks like” and what the person “acts like.” The former can be represented by degree of physical attractiveness. The latter can be summarized in terms of personality traits, classified according to the degree to which they are typically seen as masculine or feminine. The present research assessed the effects of simultaneously manipulating these two variables on different measures of heterosexual interpersonal attraction. The basic procedure involved college students' reading an elaborate context story from which ratings of hypothetical stimulus persons, in both “working partner” and “marital partner” contexts, emerged. The physical attractiveness of the hypothetical person was varied by means of facial photographs, and the person's trait description was manipulated for degree of sex-stereotype loading on the basis of “sex-stereotype index” values for adjectives. In both experiments subjects strongly preferred physically attractive stimulus persons. In a study in which subjects chose between two stimulus persons, interpersonal attraction was related to the sex-stereotype loading of personality traits, with subjects preferring stimulus persons described with traits drawn from the same-sex stereotype. In a second study in which subjects rated only one stimulus person, such an effect did not occur. In both studies feminine traits were more highly valued than masculine characteristics within the context of marriage.

scholarly journals Are Sex Differences in Preferences for Physical Attractiveness and Good Earning Capacity in Potential Mates Smaller in Countries With Greater Gender Equality?

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 147470491985292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lingshan Zhang ◽  
Anthony J. Lee ◽  
Lisa M. DeBruine ◽  
Benedict C. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Gender Inequality ◽  
Physical Attractiveness ◽  
Multiple Comparisons ◽  
Mate Preferences ◽  
Earning Capacity ◽  
Country Level ◽  
The Social ◽  
Physically Attractive

On average, women show stronger preferences for mates with good earning capacity than men do, while men show stronger preferences for physically attractive mates than women do. Studies reporting that sex differences in mate preferences are smaller in countries with greater gender equality have been interpreted as evidence that these sex differences in mate preferences are caused by the different roles society imposes on men and women. Here, we attempted to replicate previously reported links between sex differences in mate preferences and country-level measures of gender inequality in a sample of 3,073 participants from 36 countries (data and code available at https://osf.io/4sr5f/ ). Although women preferred mates with good earning capacity more than men did and men preferred physically attractive mates more than women did, we found little evidence that these sex differences were smaller in countries with greater gender equality. Although one analysis suggested that the sex difference in preferences for good earning capacity was smaller in countries with greater gender equality, this effect was not significant when controlling for Galton’s problem or when correcting for multiple comparisons. Collectively, these results provide little support for the social roles account of sex differences in mate preferences.

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