THE UGLY SIDE OF BEAUTY Abstract

Research has shown that the human population has a tendency to attribute positive characteristics to those that are more attractive. Recent studies suggest that this is an innate an automatic response. The current study used a two-group between subjects design to observe how the participants would respond to an attractive lawyer charged with embezzlement versus an unattractive lawyer. One group was given the attractive version of the target while the other group was given the unattractive version of the target. The two dependent variables measured in the study were the lawyers guilt and immorality. The results demonstrated that people will rate an attractive defendant as less guilty and less immoral. Our data suggests that peoples judgments are biased by their initial perception of the targets physical appearance. In other words, they will often let the physical attractiveness stereotype influence their interpretations. Such studies on the Beauty Bias will help us gain an understanding of the injustices that are present in our culture.

The Ugly Side of Beauty The Beauty Bias is a very prevalent theory in the field of social psychology. It goes beyond the concept of self-image by taking societys perception into account. The premise behind the Beauty Bias is that people who are more physically attractive will be perceived as having more attractive personality traits (Dion, Berscheid, & Walster, 1972). This is important to study because, like other stereotypes, it can affect how individuals view themselves and, thus, play a role in the kind of life they lead (Dion et al., 1972). It can determine what opportunities are given to them in the work place (Agthe, Sporrle, & Maner, 2011) and the dating world (de Vries, 2010). There is also evidence that suggests that this bias is based on very little awareness

THE UGLY SIDE OF BEAUTY (Olson & Marshuetz, 2005). Studying the effects of the Beauty Bias will provide a better understanding of social learning and its formation of attitudes. The way that people present themselves greatly contributes to how others view them as individuals. De Vries (2005) references the primacy effect as the idea of a long lasting first

impression. The effect occurs when a persons initial feelings toward a subject are so strong that they continue to overshadow any other intake of information (deVries, 2005). In What is Beautiful is Good, the authors begin by explaining that physical appearance is the first thing that influences social interaction (Dion, Berscheid, & Walster, 1972). This is the behavior from which the Beauty Bias originates. The original experiment called for participants to judge photos of the opposite sex based on personality traits. The ratings demonstrated that, when someone possesses unfavorable physical qualities, they are perceived to possess unfavorable personality traits as well (Dion, Berscheid, & Walster, 1972). An additional study by Dion and Dion (1987) included the component of the Just World Scale to its participants. The Just World Hypothesis states that people get what they deserve in life. The participants who were confirmed as believers of the Just World Hypothesis rated the more attractive male stimulus as having more positive personality traits and life outcomes than the unattractive male stimulus. Those who did not rate as believers of the hypothesis did not show a difference in their perceptions toward either of the male stimuli. These results show that people tend to think that it is fair for the world to provide more positive conditions for more attractive people (Dion & Dion, 1987). This supports the Beauty Bias because it relates to the original phrase that states, What is beautiful is good (Dion, Berscheid, & Walster, 1972). Those that are beautiful will be seen as good and, thus, have good things thrust upon them.

THE UGLY SIDE OF BEAUTY Another explanation for the origin of the Beauty Bias is that it is an innate form of stereotyping. For instance, it has been observed that babies have better reactions when they are looking at someone who is physically appealing (Olson & Marshuetz, 2005). This reveals that humans seem to be wired to prefer attractive faces and that such reactions may be carried out automatically. The first experiment conducted by Olson and Marshuetz (2005) tested this assumption by exposing participants to pre-rated images. The experiment concluded that the average ratings of attractive faces were higher than the average ratings of unattractive faces. This is evidence that the Beauty Bias can be based on a minimal amount of thought and processing (Olson and Marshuetz, 2005). Judging individuals based on their level of attractiveness is only one side of the Beauty Bias. The other side lies within social comparisons. It has been observed that physical attractiveness can determine who an employer decides to hire (Dion, Berscheid, & Walster, 1972). Agthe, Sporrle, and Maner (2011) took this idea further in order to determine whether someone could be negatively impacted by their positive physical traits. They kept consistent

with past observations and hypothesized that the participant would rather choose to interact with the more attractive option when it came to hiring someone of the opposite sex. On the contrary, they predicted that, if asked to hire someone of the same-sex, participants would rather choose to interact with the less attractive option (Agthe, Sporrle, & Maner, 2011). Each participant was given job applications to analyze in the study. The photos accompanying the applications were rated as follows: one attractive female, one unattractive female, one attractive male, and one unattractive male. The results supported both of the hypotheses. Both males and females preferred to interact with a more attractive opposite-sex candidate and a less attractive same-sex candidate (Agthe, Sporrle, and Maner, 2011). These outcomes demonstrate that the Beauty Bias

THE UGLY SIDE OF BEAUTY can also originate from the perception of someone as a threat when carrying out a social comparison. In this case, the physical attractiveness stereotype has the reverse effect when it is being placed on someone of the same sex. The reverse effect described in the previous study describes one implication of the Beauty Biasthat it can work against a physically attractive person just as much as it can work in their favor (Agthe, Sporrle, & Maner, 2011). This source of negativity, however, can only be supported between same-sex targets within this study. On the one hand, the Beauty Bias supports the idea that people would rather be in situations with those that are physically appealing because it creates a more enjoyable atmosphere. On the other hand, people may not want to interact with others that are physically appealing because it could cause them to feel lesser in comparison (Agthe et al., 2011). Agthe and colleagues (2011) recognized that selfesteem acts as a moderating effect. For the third study, participants were asked to evaluate the attractiveness of an applicant similar to the method in the first study, while also being asked to

partake in the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. The results showed that those with a low, and even moderate, level of self-esteem were more likely to give lower ratings to the more physically attractive applicants (Agthe, Sporrle, & Maner, 2011). Their preferences serve as evidence for a negative natural consequence of the Beauty Bias. Another study that points to an effect of social comparisons on the Beauty Bias is one between opposite-sex attractiveness and partner beauty (Little, Caldwell, Jones, & DeBruine, 2011). It reveals that people are more likely to increase their attractiveness ratings of a person if that person is shown to be with someone that is rated as highly attractive. This serves as an implication for the Beauty Bias because it exemplifies the idea of stereotypes by association; nevertheless, this particular experiment is directed towards a positive end of the bias.

THE UGLY SIDE OF BEAUTY Participants were shown two versions of the same composite image: one with sex-typical facial features and one with sex-atypical facial features. Sex-typical refers to males with masculine features and females with feminine features. Sex-atypical, however, refers to males with feminine features and females with masculine features. (Little, Caldwell, Jones, & DeBruine, 2011). These composites were paired with both sex-typical and sex-atypical partner images in both of their forms (i.e. sex-typical target with sex-typical partner, sex-typical target with sexatypical partner, etc.). The target image was always the opposite sex of the participant, and the relationship between the images was always heterosexual. The study concluded that targets that were paired with more attractive, sex-typical partners were rated higher. If the target was sexatypical paired with a sex-typical partner, their average rating was higher than a sex-atypical target paired with a sex-atypical partner (Little, Caldwell, Jones, & DeBruine, 2011).

De Vries study on the impact of self descriptions (2010) puts forth more evidence for the strength of physical attractiveness stereotypes. Half of the photos used in the experiment were pre-rated as attractive and half of the photos were pre-rated as unattractive. Conversely, half of the descriptions were rated as highly positive, and the other half was rated as moderately positive (deVries, 2010). The average ratings of opposite-sex participants revealed that the combinations complete with attractive photos were more appealing regardless of whether the description was positive or just moderately positive. These results imply that physical attractiveness still holds more weight over personality attractiveness in mate preferences (deVries, 2010). The present study will examine the role of attractiveness on attitude formulation in written media. Participants will read a brief article about a lawyer that has been charged with embezzlement. Included with the article, is a picture of a middle-aged man who is said to be the defendant. Half of the participants see a picture of an attractive man, the other half see a picture

THE UGLY SIDE OF BEAUTY of a less attractive man. In line with previous research, we believe that the participants will be significantly more likely to rate the attractive man as: 1) less guilty and; 2) more moral than the less attractive man. Methods Participants

A total of 290 participants were used in this study. The total was composed of 153 males (52.8%) and 127 females (43.8%). There were 10 participants who did not report gender (3.4%). The age range of the participants was 18-71 (M=23.10, SD=8.368). There were 193 students from Loyola University Chicago (66.6%) that participated in the study. Out of 270 responses, 193 were Caucasian/White, 29 were Asian/Pacific Islander, 24 were Hispanic/Latino, 12 were African American/Black, and the final 12 identified with an ethnicity outside of those categories. Participants verbally consented to the study but no compensation was provided.

Design The study was a two-group between subjects design. Level of Attractiveness served as the independent variable with two levels: half of the participants were given the article with an attractive picture of the target and the other half of the participants was given the same article with an unattractive picture of the target. The data of the hypotheses was composed of two dependent variables: (a) targets immorality and (b) targets guilt. Three questions were given to assess each dependent variable.

Materials They were each given the same AP News article from March 2011. The article specified the charge that the target was being suspected of and his current condition in the case (see appendix A).

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MARQUETTE -- Marquette attorney James Nancarrow was named Tuesday as a suspect in an embezzlement case in Marquette. He is charged with embezzling between $50,000 and $100,000. He was expected to be arraigned in district court Tuesday afternoon, but he did not show up, and the arraignment was postponed until November 1. Nancarrow's attorney, Steve Polich, indicated that his client had been hospitalized at Northstar Health System in Iron River. His medical condition was not disclosed. A hearing was held via video conference, however, with a visiting judge out of Chippewa County. Nancarrow was not present for the hearing. Bond was set at $100,000 cash assurety, and Nancarrow's attorney indicated that his client had already provided $10,000 cash to the court.

Half of the articles featured the subject, James Nancarrow, with an attractive photo, and the other half of the articles featured him with an unattractive photo. Both of these photos were of white middle-aged men pilot-tested on hotornot.com (see appendix B). After reading the article, the participants were given a questionnaire (see appendix C). The first nine questions were based on a five-point scale ranging from disagree strongly (1) to strongly agree (5). The first three questions had to do with the overall rating of the article and the authors voice. Questions were as follows: The article is well-written (free of typos); This is an interesting article; and The author was unbiased. Other questions measured target guilt: James Nancarrow is likely guilty of the crime; A guilty verdict would be necessary for me to determine whether James Nancarrow is guilty; and Most people would believe that James Nancarrow is guilty after reading this article. The remainder of the questions measured target immorality: James Nancarrow is an honest person; James Nancarrow is likely an immoral person; and James Nancarrow should not be trusted. The final 4 questions were added to record the age, gender, race, and Loyola status of the participant.

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Procedure All of the subjects were asked if they wanted to participate in a study for a course on psychology research methods. Before reading the article, they were told that this was a study on how people respond to current events. After answering the questionnaire following the article the participants were debriefed. They were told that the purpose of the study was actually to determine whether or not the photo of the target influenced their answers. They were also made aware that other participants in the study received a photo with a different level of attractiveness. No compensation was given for their participation.

Results Overview of Analyses For each of the nine article-related questions in the questionnaire, we calculated the mean and standard deviations. We did the same for our guilt and immorality indexesthe primary dependent variables. In the inferential statistics portion, we also calculated two independent samples t-tests for both guilt and immorality. These tests are appropriate because our between subjects design put one group into the attractive photo category and the other group into the unattractive photo category while measuring both of those groups on a continuous 5-point scale.

Descriptive Statistics When asked to rate whether The article is well-written (free of typos), the sample neither agreed nor disagreed on average (M=3.48, SD=1.16). For, The author was unbiased, the average response shows that the sample neither agreed nor disagreed as well (M=3.77, SD=1.10). Overall, the standard deviations do show that participants were more likely to agree that the article was both well-written and unbiased. The average rating for, This is an

THE UGLY SIDE OF BEAUTY interesting article, shows that the participants did not believe that the article was interesting (M=2.51, SD=.996). They agreed that James Nancarrow (the subject of the article) is likely guilty of the crime (M=3.27, SD=.93) and disagreed that A guilty verdict would be necessary

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for me to determine whether James Nancarrow is guilty (M=2.85, SD=1.26). This means that participants believed that he was guilty, but they did not need documented proof. The participants were also more likely to rate that James Nancarrow is an honest person (M=3.44, SD=.88) rather than James Nancarrow is likely an immoral person (M=2.98, SD=.96). This is further evidence that honesty is a moral characteristic. When asked to rate whether Most people would believe that James Nancarrow is guilty after reading the article, participants agreed (M=3.55, SD=1.08), but, on average, they were closer to disagreeing that James Nancarrow should not be trusted (M=2.99, SD=.94). This shows that, even though the participants believe the target is guilty, they do think that he should be trusted. With all of these statistics in mind, the entire sample of participants was in moderate agreement with the guilt (M=3.22, SD=.68) and immorality (M=3.14, SD=.69) of James Nancarrow.

Inferential Statistics Independent sample t-tests were used to analyze the data because the study was compromised of categorical independent variables (attractive photo or unattractive photo) and continuous dependent variables (agreement rating of 1 to 5). Target Guilt. The independent t-tests demonstrated that the participants perceived the unattractive version of James Nancarrow (M=3.50, SD=.62) as significantly more guilty than the attractive version (M=2.95, SD=..62), t(288) = -7.56, p < .001. The results supported the

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hypothesis that the target will be rated as guiltier when the unattractive photo is used compared to the attractive photo (see Figure 1). Target Immorality. The independent t-tests demonstrated that the participants perceived the unattractive version of James Nancarrow (M=3.29, SD=.67) as significantly more immoral than the attractive version (M=2.99, SD=.69), t(288) = -3.76, p < .001. The results supported the hypothesis that the target will be rated as more immoral when the unattractive photo is used compared to the attractive photo (see Figure 2). Summary: The unattractive condition resulted in higher rates of both target guilt and target immorality. The t-test data shows that both conditions were significantly affected by the level of attractiveness of the photo.

Discussion The results of the present study support the existence of the Beauty Bias: beautiful people are good. We found that people will interpret information more positively when it involves an attractive subject rather than an unattractive subject. Participants that received an article that included the attractive photo of James Nancarrow believed he was less guilty and more moral. Those that received an article that included the unattractive photo rated him as more guilty and less moral. Their reactions directly exemplify those in the original study. Dion, Berscheid, and Walster (1972) found that attractive stimuli were rated as having more attractive personality traits than the unattractive stimuli. Since participants were not aware of the true hypotheses in the study, they were not even primed to pay particular attention to the photo. The study by Olson and Marshuetz (2005) concluded that people demonstrate judgments that support the Beauty Bias even when they were

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not consciously aware of what type of stimulus they have just seen. In addition, when people are consciously aware of the photo, they will still judge an attractive subject more favorably regardless of the accompanied information. DeVries (2010) noticed that attractive photos with negative self-descriptions were still rated better than unattractive photos with positive selfdescriptions. Our study consisted of a strong sample size with a total of 290 participants. There was a relatively even representation between male and female genders in the sample. This distinguishes it from studies that focus primarily on either opposite-sex or same-sex attraction between the participant and the stimulus. The article that was given to the participants did not show any signs of bias toward the subject. There was no reason that the participant should be swayed to believe that James Nancarrow is or is not guilty or immoral. Both dependent variables were equally represented in the questionnaire (3 questions each), and the wording of the questions was not emotionally-charged to sway the participants answers in any particular direction. Despite the strong sample size, the majority of the participants identified as Caucasian and Loyola students. The age represented in both photographs was identified as middle-aged, but the attractive photo looked significantly younger than the unattractive photo. The details about James Nancarrow having an undisclosed medical condition could have led the reader to form sympathetic emotions towards him. If the photo was perceived to be on the older side, it is possible that this medical condition could have been attributed to aging as well. All in all, the study could be stronger if we equalize the photographs of the target as much as possible and eliminate any information that might cause opinions about any traits other than the guilt and immorality involved in the case.

THE UGLY SIDE OF BEAUTY Future research should examine the effects of the Beauty Bias on a diverse sample of stimulus photos. For example, it would be interesting to see how participants respond to African-American or Asian targets. Such evidence could tell us if race or ethnicity affects the strength of the stereotype. It would also be beneficial to use targets that are part of a different

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age group. This would demonstrate whether or not the Beauty Bias has a stronger emphasis on either older or younger individuals. Since this study represented both male and female views toward male targets, it would be interesting to see how they respond to female targets as well. To take it a step further, we could also see how males and females respond to the same-sex target compared to the opposite-sex target. This would demonstrate whether the Beauty Bias is capable of exhibiting reverse effects. In a broader sense, distributing the study to different geographical areas could also demonstrate the variations of the Beauty Bias in an assortment of cultures. Overall, this study tells us that Beauty Bias has a significant effect on the way that we interpret the behavior of individuals. If we continue to study the effects of this stereotype, it will help us understand how society judges and responds to different types of people based on their appearance. This is important because it will allow us to see the injustice that we are capable of forming both with and without conscious awareness. As we have seen, the attractiveness of a person can act as a tool in forming a decision. If a more attractive person is suspected of the same crime as an unattractive person, he or she might have an unfair advantage based purely on physical characteristics. That is the ugly side of beauty.

THE UGLY SIDE OF BEAUTY References

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Agthe, M., Sporrle, M., & Maner J. K. (2011). Does being attractive always help? Positive and negative effects of attractiveness on social decision making. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37 (8), 1042-1054. DeVries, J. M. A. (2010). Impact of self-Descriptions and photographs on mediated dating interest. Marriage and Family Review, 46, 538-562. Dion, K., Berscheid, E., & Walster, E. (1972). What is beautiful is good. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 24(3), 285-290. Dion, K. L., & Dion, K. K. (1987). Belief in a just world and physical attractiveness stereotyping. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52(4), 775-780. Little, A. C., Caldwell, C. A., Jones, B. C., & DeBruine, L. M. (2011). Effects of partner beauty on opposite-sex attractiveness judgments. Archival of Sexual Behavior, 40, 1119-1127. Olson, I. R., & Marshuetz, C. (2005). Facial attractiveness is appraised in a glance. Emotion, 5(4), 498-502.

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Figure 1: T-test Results for Guilt

GUILT
5 4.5 4 3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1

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Figure 2: T-test Results for Immorality

IMMORALITY
5 4.5 4 3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1

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Appendix A: AP News Article (March 2011)

Lawyer charged with embezzlement

By Mary Hart, AP News

James Nancarrow MARQUETTE -- Marquette attorney James Nancarrow was named Tuesday as a suspect in an embezzlement case in Marquette. He is charged with embezzling between $50,000 and $100,000. He was expected to be arraigned in district court Tuesday afternoon, but he did not show up, and the arraignment was postponed until November 1. Nancarrow's attorney, Steve Polich, indicated that his client had been hospitalized at Northstar Health System in Iron River. His medical condition was not disclosed. A hearing was held via video conference, however, with a visiting judge out of Chippewa County. Nancarrow was not present for the hearing. Bond was set at $100,000 cash assurety, and Nancarrow's attorney indicated that his client had already provided $10,000 cash to the court.

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Appendix B: Photographs from hotornot.com

Attractive Stimulus Photo

Unattractive Stimulus Photo

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Appendix C: Questionnaire

Please answer the following questions about the article you just read. Please state how much you agree (or disagree) with the following statements on the five (5) point scale.

1 = Disagree Strongly to 5 = Strongly Agree

1. This article is well-written (free of typos).

1 Disagree Strongly

5 Strongly Agree

2. This is an interesting article

1 Disagree Strongly

5 Strongly Agree

3. The author was unbiased.

1 Disagree Strongly

5 Strongly Agree

4. James Nancarrow (the subject of the article) is likely guilty of the crime. 1 Disagree Strongly 2 3 4 5 Strongly Agree

5. James Nancarrow is an honest person.

1 Disagree Strongly

5 Strongly Agree

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6. A guilty verdict would be necessary for me to determine whether James Nancarrow is guilty.

1 Disagree Strongly

5 Strongly Agree

7. James Nancarrow is likely an immoral person.

1 Disagree Strongly

5 Strongly Agree

8. Most people would believe that James Nancarrow is guilty after reading the article.

1 Disagree Strongly

5 Strongly Agree

9. James Nancarrow should not be trusted.

1 Disagree Strongly

5 Strongly Agree

Please answer some questions about yourself. This information is optional.

10. What is your age in years? _____________

11. Are you a Loyola University Chicago student? 1. Yes 2. No

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12. What is your gender? 1. Female 2. Male

13. What is your race/ethnicity? 1. African American/Black 2. Asian or Pacific Islander 3. Caucasian/White 4. Hispanic or Latino 5. Other ____________