Not Just in the Eye of the Beholder: Beauty as a Status Characteristic in Mixed-Sex Dyads Open Access

Abstract

Abstract

The physical attractiveness bias, the tendency to attribute positive characteristics to
attractive people, is ubiquitous in the social world and appropriates widespread
advantages to attractive individuals. Past research has shown that physical attractiveness
operates as a status characteristic that influences group behavior. Incorporating concepts
from the physical attractiveness bias and expectation states theory, this study examines
the communication behaviors of pairs working on a decision making task in order to draw
conclusions about the unconscious influence of physical attractiveness and gender on
social status hierarchy. 68 undergraduate students were separated into pairs that varied by
gender and attractiveness rating and were videotaped while performing a task.
Researchers measured the dominant (interruptions, gestures, total talk time, speech
initiation) and submissive (affirmations, head nods, smiling) communication behaviors
exhibited by participants and used this information to infer the status hierarchy of the
pair. When participants evaluated their partners after the task, participants who were
described as attractive were also described as possessing other positive traits, such as
intelligence or thoughtfulness. A 2 (Attractiveness) by 2 (Gender) Factorial ANOVA was
significant for speech initiation and head nods. These interactions and other trends
suggest that gender and physical attractiveness operate as status characteristics, and that
physical attractiveness affords individuals an elevated social status in face-to-face
interaction.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction _________________________________________________1

The Physical Attractiveness Bias...........................................................2

Expectation States Theory...................................................................6

Status differences in Communication Behaviors....................................11

Statement of Problem and Hypotheses................................................12

Methods___________________________________________________ 14

Participants and Study Staff...............................................................14

Procedure.......................................................................................15

Results___________________________________________________ 18

Discussion _________________________________________________25

Hypothesis 1..................................................................................25

Hypotheses 2-4..............................................................................26

Limitations and Suggestions for Future Research.................................30

Conclusion ________________________________________________32

References________________________________________________ 33

Appendecis________________________________________________ 37

Appendix 1....................................................................................37

Appendix 2....................................................................................39

Appendix 3....................................................................................45

List of Tables and Figures_______________________________________

Figure 1: Attractiveness by Gender Factorial ANOVA Interaction

for Head Nods................................................................................20

Figure 2: Attractiveness by Gender Factorial ANOVA Interaction

for Speech Initiation........................................................................21

Table 1: Means and Standard Deviations

for Communication Behaviors...........................................................22

Table 2: Group Means and Standard Deviations by Gender

for Head Nods................................................................................24

Table 3: Group Means and Standard Deviations by Gender

for Smiles......................................................................................24

Table 4: Group Means and Standard Deviations by Gender

for Gestures...................................................................................25

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Psychology
Degree	BA
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Psychology, Social
Keyword	Expectation States Theory Physical Attractiveness
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Bliwise, Nancy, Emory University
Committee Members	Johnson, Cathryn, Emory University Strock, Barbara, Emory University

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