Physical Attractiveness and Intellectual Competence: A Meta-Analytic Review

Jackson, Linda A.; Hunter, John E.; Hodge, Carole N.

doi:10.2307/2787149

Cited by 280 publications

(220 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…While ''what is beautiful is good (and competent)" is generally supported (e.g., Jackson, Hunter, & Hodge, 1995), when women are evaluated for high status jobs, attractiveness reduces perceptions of women's, but not men's, competence (e.g., Heilman & Stopeck, 1985 study utilizing a mock US Presidential election methodology found that competence was rated as important for male and female candidates. But only for female candidates did appearance matter; and they were viewed as less competent overall (Chiao, Bowman, & Gill, 2008).…”

Section: Perceptions Of Competencementioning

confidence: 99%

Objectifying Sarah Palin: Evidence that objectification causes women to be perceived as less competent and less fully human

Heflick

Goldenberg

2009

Journal of Experimental Social Psychology

267

327

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Section: Perceptions Of Competencementioning

confidence: 99%

Objectifying Sarah Palin: Evidence that objectification causes women to be perceived as less competent and less fully human

Heflick

Goldenberg

2009

Journal of Experimental Social Psychology

267

327

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“…Moreover, the vast majority of dependent variables analyzed by Feingold (1992b) and L. A. Jackson et al (1995) assessed traits as defined by psychometric tests (e.g., IQ) rather than behavior as defined by observations of behaviors in actual interactions. Thus, to fully understand the relations among appearance, behaviors, and traits, it is important to broaden the conception of behavior beyond that used by Feingold and L. A. Jackson et al If beauty is only skin-deep, then a comprehensive meta-analysis of the literature should find no significant differences between attractive and unattractive people in their behaviors, traits, or self-views.…”

Section: Beauty Is Only Skin-deepmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Two meta-analyses have examined the relation between attractiveness and some behaviors and traits (Feingold, 1992b2;L. A. Jackson, Hunter, & Hodge, 1995).…”

Section: Beauty Is Only Skin-deepmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maxims or myths of beauty? A meta-analytic and theoretical review.

Langlois¹,

Kalakanis²,

Rubenstein³

et al. 2000

Psychological Bulletin

1,951

103

1,638

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Common maxims about beauty suggest that attractiveness is not important in life. In contrast, both fitness-related evolutionary theory and socialization theory suggest that attractiveness influences development and interaction. In 11 meta-analyses, the authors evaluate these contradictory claims, demonstrating that (a) raters agree about who is and is not attractive, both within and across cultures; (b) attractive children and adults are judged more positively than unattractive children and adults, even by those who know them; (c) attractive children and adults are treated more positively than unattractive children and adults, even by those who know them; and (d) attractive children and adults exhibit more positive behaviors and traits than unattractive children and adults. Results are used to evaluate social and fitness-related evolutionary theories and the veracity of maxims about beauty.I cannot say often enough how much I consider beauty a powerful and advantageous quality. Socrates called it "A short tyranny," and Plato, '~Fhe privilege of nature." We have no quality that surpasses it in credit. It holds the first place in human relations; it presents itself before the rest, seduces and prepossesses our judgment with great authority and a wondrous impression.--Montaigne, Essays "Beauty is truth, truth beauty," --that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know. --Keats, Ode on a Grecian UrnBeauty has interested poets, philosophers, and scientists for centuries. Indeed, the ancient Greeks believed that there is a fundamental relation between beauty and positive qualities: Those who are beautiful are also good (Sappho, Fragment No. 101). "Beauty is good" was empirically tested in a seminal study by Dion, Berscheid, and Walster (1972), who demonstrated that, even in modem times, human beings attribute positive qualities to attractive people and negative qualities to unattractive people. Since this important study, much research has focused on the effects of attractiveness, especially facial attractiveness, on, the attributions, impressions, and stereotypes of strangers. These studies primarily have investigated attributions made by college students about attractive and unattractive strangers based on a photograph of the face and, sometimes, minimal printed "background information" about the hypothetical individuals. This strangerattribution literature has been summarized by earlier meta-analyses (see, e.g., Eagly, Ashmore, Makhijanl, & Longo, 1991;Feingold, 1992b), which have confmned the association between attractiveness and many attributions of positive characteristics. 1Contrary to these findings of a reliable relation between attractiveness and attributions of positive qualifies, however, are several age-old maxims and precepts holding that attractiveness either is not or should not be a significant factor in social interactions or behaviors. Three maxims in particular are heard frequently: (a) Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, (b) never judge a book by its cover, and (c) beauty is only skin-deep...

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“…While we appear to make reasonably accurate judgements of intelligence based on information displayed in the face, and consider intelligent-looking faces to be attractive, there is inconsistent evidence that facial attractiveness is itself a reliable cue to intelligence. While one meta-analysis demonstrated a weak positive relationship between attractiveness and measures of intellectual competence in adults (JACKSON, HUNTER and HODGE 1995), two others found no link between attractiveness and IQ scores (FEINGOLD 1992;LANGLOIS et al 2000). Consequently, it has been argued that facial attractiveness does not provide valid cues to underlying cognitive abilities, but that its relationship with perceived intelligence reflects an attractiveness halo effect whereby attractive individuals are attributed with positive personality characteristics (e.g., EAGLY et al 1991).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intelligence and attractiveness in the face: Beyond the attractiveness halo effect

Moore¹,

Filippou²,

Perrett³

2011

Journal of Evolutionary Psychology

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Abstract.Positive relationships between perceived intelligence, actual intelligence and facial attractiveness have been attributed to (a) an attractiveness halo effect in which attractive individuals are attributed with positive personality traits and (b) a "good genes" model of mate choice. We sought to determine whether cues to intelligence exist in the face beyond an attractiveness halo effect and to explore relationships between residual cues to intelligence and personality attributions in male and female faces. In Study 1, we attempted to parametrically manipulate the perceived intelligence of faces while controlling for attractiveness. Results demonstrated that we manipulated perceived intelligence but may not have adequately controlled for an attractiveness halo effect: faces that were manipulated to look high in perceived intelligence were rated as more attractive. In Study 2, we found perceived intelligence to be related positively to perceived friendliness and sense of humour in male and female faces and inversely to perceived dominance in female faces. Results are discussed in the context of models of "good genes" and "attractiveness halo" models of the relationships between intelligence and attractiveness.

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Physical Attractiveness and Intellectual Competence: A Meta-Analytic Review

Cited by 280 publications

References 71 publications

Objectifying Sarah Palin: Evidence that objectification causes women to be perceived as less competent and less fully human

Objectifying Sarah Palin: Evidence that objectification causes women to be perceived as less competent and less fully human

Maxims or myths of beauty? A meta-analytic and theoretical review.

Intelligence and attractiveness in the face: Beyond the attractiveness halo effect

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