After reading the study, What is Beautiful is Good, what are your reactions? Have you witnessed this theory at play in your own life? Blog about your reactions to this study.
Then, search for another article or study that relates to this topic. How do we continue to see this stereotype at play today? Has it changed? Write a brief summary of your article and provide a hyperlink (go to insert link in your reply so it is an active hyperlink) to your article in your post. (If you download an article from Ebsco and cannot post a link, give us the full APA reference and bring in a copy to class).
References
Dion, K., Berscheid, E., & Walster, E. (1972). What is beautiful is good. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 24(3), 285-290.
I always knew that the "what is beautiful is good" stereotype existed in some facets, but I didn't realize how true it may be until reading this article. I was surprised to see that the subjects were inclined to rank the more attractive pictures as people with more desirable personality traits and people who will be more happy and successful in the long run, despite knowing nothing about their actual personality traits or lifestyles. I don't think I've ever seen this play out in my life, however I don't doubt that this stereotype can influence may different areas of life.
ReplyDeleteAnother article I found related to the "what is beautiful is good" hypothesis is written by Professor Comila Shahani-Denning of Hofstra University: Physical Attractiveness Bias in Hiring - http://www.hofstra.edu/pdf/orsp_shahani-denning_spring03.pdf
The article describes that attractive people seem not only to have a leg up in the hiring process for jobs that require public exposure, such as sales, but for "behind the scene" jobs as well. The author brought up the point that there is so much legislation out there that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, sexuality, or other factors like that, yet there isn't anything preventing an employer from actively seeking to hire attractive people, whether consciously or unconsciously.
Hmmm...this article just confirmed a lot of my beliefs about beauty and attractiveness. People usually think that just because a person is physical attractive that they automatically have really good personality traits or that they are successful. When it actuality it can be exactly the opposite. I have seen this play out in life once. My best friend met this guy at her tennis club. He was new in town and had just moved from Greece. He spoke english because he and his family would travel back and forth from Greece to America. He was absolutely gorgeous. So he and my friend started talking and he was so conceited. All he did was talk about himself and Greece and how much better Greece is than America. He was so annoying. Then he started asking my friend to change her appearance because HE liked HIS girlfriend to look a certain way. My friend told him off, called him a ***hole and never looked back. (I was so proud :) ) She never saw him again. This shows that not everything that glitters is gold. It could just be a pile of absolute crap covered in gold paper, which is what I think this article is saying. Even though people are more inclined to go for the physically attractive person, they are not always the best person.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ronalfy.com/not-so-beautiful-stereotype-on-physical-attractiveness/
This might not be an article article but I found it interesting. The author discusses how this "prejudice" towards non attractive people begins. Of course the media starts it, causing millions of people (both men and women) to go under the knife everyday. The author also discusses how no one wants to age gracefully, causing this type of mind set to be passed on from generation to generation.
Like Maria, I understood that the "what is beautiful is good" stereotype existed, but I thought it wasn't as much as how the article explained. I was also surprised to see how the ranking experiment worked and what the subjects said. This is as close as I can think of to a real life example of the WIBIG, I know a friend, who is very pretty, actually she's kind of "Average attractive", like her facial features are perfect, but very average, anyway she's pretty. And where ever we go, people hold doors open for her and are always polite to her. She is very polite herself, but strangers assume she is just because she is cute.
ReplyDeleteI'm five so I found an article that looks at it from a Disney Standpoint:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/homo-consumericus/201012/the-what-is-beautiful-is-good-effect-in-disney-movies
It's findings concluded that, when it comes to Disney characters, the WIBIG effect is highly operative. Physically attractive characters are ascribed positive traits and are disassociated from negative ones. I thought this was really interesting because Disney certainly influences young children in the Western Societies at least, and is working hard at spreading its influence across the world!
I could definitely see how someone's attractiveness could equate to their supposed "inner beauty". It could take place at any time, when going for a job interview, when out on a date, especially a blind date, anything. Like Maria, I didn't realize this until I actually read the article. Fortunately I don't think I have ever seen this play out in my life, at least not yet.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/love-bytes/201104/the-advantages-good-looks-long-term-love-is-not-one-them
This article, written by John R. Buri, PhD, discusses how the "halo effect" has people duped into believing that choosing a lifetime partner who is physically attractive will mean that their personality is just as attractive. Buri outwardly states that "there is almost no connection between being physically beautiful and actually being a beautiful person". He describes how when his friends will go on first dates, they will ask themselves the question, "Could I see myself carrying on a conversation with this person in my old age? Will this person make a good parent/spouse?" And if the answers are no, despite the fact that the person might be good looking, his friends will almost always never go on another date with that person.
I knew that WIBIG was somewhat true, but this article really made me realize how true it is. I now understand why they say that first impressions on a job interviews, first dates etc matter. Thinking about it I have seen this in my own life. I use to be friends with this girl who turned out not to be the nicest person in the world but every time we both met someone new they always spent most of their time and energy getting to know her because she always looked “more beautiful” when we went out. Overall, I think it’s sad that WIBIG plays a part of our lives because people who are not born “beautiful” get robbed out of a lot of things in life. But I think it is important for people to remember that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.uwlax.edu/urc/jur-online/pdf/2009/shinners-erinpsy.pdf
This study was done in 2009 and it is basically an exact replica of WIBIG. So yes the stereotype is still at play today and I don’t think it has changed. The only thing that may have changed is what people today consider beautiful. For example in the 1970s for a man to have a mullet or longer hair was attractive but today it may be considered unattractive.
I've definitely always believed that physical attractiveness is one of those things that people try to steer clear of but have always known impacts the daily lives of all people. I can totally see how we perpetuate the What is Beautiful is Good theory because we do it in our daily lives without even noticing. When trying to cheer up a friend who we think is pretty we all tend to say things like, "dont worry, you'll find another boyfriend, guys love you" or things of that nature solely based on looks. I personally also find it easier to talk to people that I think are especially beautiful, being around NYC starving actors and models at my parents restaurants, I've noticed that as a child I always tended to cling to and hang on to the prettiest hostess at the restaurant and beg to be taken out for ice cream by them, I just think we unfairly judge people and equate attractiveness to gentleness and kindness automatically. A smile can do wonders for how we perceive someone.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3917414/ns/dateline_nbc/t/face-value/#.T3DoM2GPWRg
The article I found is sort of what I was just talking about in terms of how we relate and act around people who we think are attractive. MSNBC did a little experiment and placed a highly attractive man and woman out on streets along with an average man and woman to see how they experience daily life differently. In short, the very attractive pair received more kind faces, more offerings of help and overall an "easier" day than the average man and woman. There has always been that debate over if pretty people do lead easier and better lives, and although its "undemocratic" like the article said to say so, I totally believe that prettier people do lead easier lives in the sense that people are more willing to help and make the lives of prettier people easier without even knowing it.
To be completely honest, I'm not surprised that people actually follow the "what is beautiful is good" stereotype. Especially today in a world where media conveys the image of what men and women should look like, physical appearance is definitely important in order to succeed, even though I'm slightly disgusted that we humans have bought into this. I laughed when reading the article since this definitely plays a role in my relationship with my aunt. Although I love my aunt, she always favors my sister over me in EVERY situation that arises. My sister is gorgeous, and my aunt definitely lets that affect her opinions when it comes to my sister and I- don't worry,now I just laugh since I look exactly like her daughters.
ReplyDeleteAn article I found that coincides with this study is http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-scientific-fundamentalist/200805/all-stereotypes-are-true-except-iii-beauty-is-only-skin-de
This article basically explains the evolutionary standpoint behind supporting the "What is beautiful is good" stereotype. This stereotype plays apart of who people today want to associate with. I personally usually end up talking to guys who I find to be attractive and healthy looking rather than guys who aren't so. But it's not only when I'm looking for a date, it's when I'm meeting new people and establishing friendships as well. Regardless of the advances in society, we are still no better than our ancestors the cro-magnon. We look for healthy people to have our offspring and healthy people to associate with in order to fit in.
After reading this study I definitely agree with the results and see it happening in my daily life. I often find myself approaching people who are good looking and want to be around people who are. Sometimes I do not even realize I am doing it but because they are good looking I may think they can do the job better or have better insight about clothes if they are working as a sales person. I can see this happening with little children as well. I always gravitate to the cuter children to play with and if a cuter child is doing something that would be considering annoying I don't think it is as much compared to a child who is not as cute. It is a horrible thing but the sad fact is that this is what the media and society tells us we should like and value more.
ReplyDeleteThis is an article that talks about a woman who writes about body image. She says all the reasons as to why and how as much as someone says that are beautiful they may not believe it. Women try to fit this image of what is beautiful but are told by people that it does not matter. The issue is that clearly it does because so many girls have eating disorders. The media tells you what you should and should not be doing and people find that they start to believe what is being said as much as they try to get away from it.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/eat-the-damn-cake/201203/why-i-write-about-body-image
Really, I'm not at all surprised that this rings true. While most people feel inclined to deny that humans judge others based on their first impressions of physical attractiveness, we still do it. While I'm not saying this is just, fair, or correct, I do think that it is part of the human condition - especially when looked at from a biological and evolutionary standpoint.
ReplyDeleteTo coincide with "What is beautiful is good," I found the following article:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-scientific-fundamentalist/200903/beautiful-people-are-more-intelligent-i
This article explains how beauty and physical appearance seem to correlate with intelligence and competence. The article explains that this is, indeed, a stereotype, but it also mentions that stereotypes originate from some semblance of the truth. It uses as evidence, a study conducted at UNC in which participants' levels of attraction were measured objectively by a viewer unaware of their IQ scores. After all the participants were rated, it was discovered that those who received the highest rating for physical appearance also had the highest IQs.
After reading this article I agree with the findings that we tend to assume that more attractive people posses more qualities than unattractive people. If you see someone that is put together versus someone who looks like a mess, you are going to think that the first one is more competent and capable of getting a specific job done. The media also plays a huge role in this stereotype because it presents us with images of how we are supposed to look in order to receive the approval that we want from society.
ReplyDeleteThis article explains how although the attractiveness stereotype is prevalent in the US, in other countries it is not so widespread. The author attributes this to the fact that we live in an individualistic society whereas other cultures such as Asian cultures are collectivist societies. In collectivist societies, people's respect and thoughts about someone else is not based on personal traits like appearance.
http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-76134467/beautiful-culturally-good-physical.html
Although the phrase "beauty is only skin deep" is true, humans (and even animals) will judge beauty off of someone's physical features. In today's world, the media influences what we think is "beautiful" and comparing a supermodel to someone who is not well put together, obviously most people will find the supermodel more beautiful. Even though some people do not like to admit to this, is just happens.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/food-thought/201203/what-makes-face-beautiful
While this article does state that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the author recognized that what makes a face attractive is hue and not so much symmetry. It says that our brains are wired to recognize rosy red faces as a sign of health and vigor. In the mid 19th and early 20th centuries, women would pinch their cheeks and grind their teeth together to get a rosy glow in their face. Studies show that photos manipulated to enhance red or blue tones consistently show that faces with red undertones are seen as more attractive, younger, healthier and vibrant than those faces with yellow undertones.
Although there are many who take their standpoint to the extreme - whether it is that standards of beauty are meaningless or that they are everything - I believe that the notion that "what is beautiful is good" is still extremely prevalent not only in our society, but universally. Physical attractiveness still seems to be the best indicator of a person's probability to find a mate and to reproduce, and in many societies, even ours, an ability to reproduce seems to be the ultimate sign of success and fulfillment.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201010/the-truth-about-beauty
This article discusses the extremists when it comes to beauty, including those who constantly go under the knife to try to look 25 and those who denounce any standards of beauty, and recognizes the realistic advantages and opportunities provided by physical attractiveness, supporting the findings of "What Is Beautiful Is Good".
Humans have sight and eyes for a reason. When you meet someone the first thing you do is judge how they look. You look at their clothes, their hair, their skin, etc. We are a society that is drive by how things looked. If we werent then advertising and making everything look flawless would not exist. We even have a tv show, The Voice, where the judges can not even see the contestant so they dont judge them on looks! I definitely know I judge people on how they look.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/eat-the-damn-cake/201203/why-i-write-about-body-image
This article discusses why this particular blogger writes about body image. She gives many examples of how people's body image are effect. Some people think its a joke when people say they have a low body image while it actually is a very harmful thing to think that way. The author digs into your mind and says flat out what you wish you could admit about yourself. What happen to the long dresses and the pale skin? Why has the definition of beauty changed and whose responsible for it?
I think it is hard to ignore the fact that attractive people have an easier life. Just by looking at the world around us it is easy to see how physical attractiveness comes into play. It is a sad but true fact about our world and this study helps to prove it. I dont think any employer would openly state they would higher a more attractive person over a less attractive person but I do think their unconscious mind does it for them. This Article proves that through the study. I do find it interesting that people feel they can base the length of a marriage off beauty and appearance. I personally think that it is what's on the inside that counts but our society teaches us differently.
ReplyDeletehttp://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-07-20/news/27070380_1_newsweek-beauty-discrimination
This article validates the points from the "What Is Beautiful Is Good" article. It states that studies have shown attractive people are more liked by their bosses and end up making around $250,000 more throughout their career than less attractive people. This article even brings these actions back to childhood- more people 'ohhh' and 'ahh' attractive babies then those less attractive. This just shows that from the very beginning part of our lives we have been exposed to the beautiful is good stereotype.
I have always known that people are more than just their personalities. As much as people like to say they don't care what their next boyfriend looks like, as long as he is a good person, it is not true. No matter what, subconsciously we favor more attractive people. We also believe that because they are more attractive, they must have better personality traits. When I first read this, I tried to argue with it and then i realized it is completely true. I remember taking 2 hours to get ready for a job interview (it was on a soccer field). I ended up getting the job because I had a nice smile. Of course I do work with people now but I could have been completely incompetent and my boss would have never known because he hired me based on the fact that I looked likable.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/science-small-talk/201112/the-magic-spell-pretty-face
This article talks about how the "What is Beautiful is Good" phenomenon only happens in certain situations. The article discusses the fact that someone having feelings for you may make them seem more attractive to you. It also mentions that even as babies we have a bias toward attractive faces. Babies tend to linger on attractive faces longer. It does mention though, that if someone shows a romantic interest toward you, you are less likely to find other attractive and less likely to liner when looking at their faces. It gives how to the "only fish in the sea" ideology.
Like my classmates said, this article is relevant today as people still judge others based on looks. I was not surprised by this article at all because even though we all like to say that we don't judge people based on looks, it's human instinct to think a little more highly of better looking people. For some reason people just assume if someone is attractive they are successful in life, which is certainly not always true but for some reason is a common assumption.
ReplyDeleteA similar article I found was
http://www.business.unr.edu/faculty/stedham/Beauty%20is%20Beastly.pdf
which discussed how the what is beautiful is good theory applies in the job world however sometimes the total opposite is true. Attractive women sometimes suffer especially when applying for masculine type jobs, referred to as "beauty is beastly." Although to an extent it is saying the opposite of what is good is beautiful, it is still saying looks are the biggest determining factor while deciding who to hire for employment
After reading the study of What Beautiful is Good, I realized how outlooks really play apart in everybody's every day life. It has become more apparent on how much I truly judge people based on their looks. For example, I know I will only talk to a guy if they are good looking. This can be shady, but myself and others tend to make this judgement very often. This article has really shown me how much we do tend to make this judgement even though we should not be.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2010/07/19/the-beauty-advantage.html
We continue to see this stereotype played out in society today in various places. In the article above, the author talks about the concept of the "beauty premium" - which is the idea that pretty people, whatever their aspirations, tend to do better in everything. Over time, this stereotype has stayed the same and not changed. It is even getting very well followed as more and more people are seen getting plastic surgery in order to fit the image of a beautiful women or man.
After reading this study, I realized how prevalent a person's looks are in our life. I think most people do this naturally without even realizing it because we have been trained to do so our whole life. An example that came to mind from my life was when we had our freshman elections. Since we didn't know our grade very well, we basically judged the people who were running by their looks. I also volunteered at a summer camp with little children and this sounds really bad but I tended to gravitate towards the cuter kids.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/homo-consumericus/201012/the-what-is-beautiful-is-good-effect-in-disney-movies
This article discusses how what beautiful is good is in Disney movies. I think this article is an example of how we have been taught since we were younger that people who are beautiful are good and people who are ugly are bad. Although as we have gotten older, our parents and other people around us have tried to teach us differently, I still think it is ingrained in us.
At first I was surprised that everyone, including myself, could be so shallow. I was slightly appalled, but in theory it does make sense, as sad as that is. My brother had worked at Starbucks for a few months and was always put on register and worked every weekend. After a couple of weekends we realized that the managers were using my brother's looks to gain customers of the female population. It actually worked, and the amount of numbers my brother received from work are the evidence.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/homo-consumericus/201012/the-what-is-beautiful-is-good-effect-in-disney-movies
This article is about the depiction of characters within disney movies, because those who are beautiful are depicted as more likely to be honest and intelligent. Also, those who are the protagonists are considered beautiful and the antagonists, who are also depicted as aggressive are always considered ugly.
After reading the study, I understand the stereotype of "What is Beautiful is Good" and how is exists in almost all aspects of today's world. I knew that I agreed with the study before I even began to read it. Today's society seems to value the very basic need for acceptance but in a more complex way. Wealth, fame, popularity, and good looks are projected onto society by the media as what we should strive to be like, we should want to be celebrities in a sense. The downside to celebrities are that they do not necessarily prove the "what is beautiful is good," they also disprove this study in that their seeming possession of 'everything' actually is the source of corruption.
ReplyDeleteI found an article that discusses how it "pays to be pretty." The author talks about how the stereotype "what is beautiful is good" proven by the sentence given by the a jury to certain people deemed attractive or unattractive. The author of the article also touches on how there is a penalty to being pretty among people of the same-sex.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/science-small-talk/201108/when-being-beautiful-backfires