The effects of physical attractiveness on job-related outcomes: A meta-analysis of experimental studies

    Authors

    M. Hosoda; E. F. Stone-Romero;G. Coats

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Pers. Psychol.

    Keywords

    HIRING DECISIONS; SEX STEREOTYPES; APPLICANT SEX; META-ANALYSIS; GENDER; APPEARANCE; INFORMATION; MANAGERIAL; JUDGMENTS; SUCCESS; Psychology, Applied; Management

    Abstract

    We report the findings of a meta-analytic review of experimental studies concerned with the biasing effect of physical attractiveness on a variety of job-related outcomes. In support of implicit personality theory, attractive individuals were found to fare better than unattractive individuals in terms of a number of such outcomes. The weighted mean effect size, d, was .37 for all studies. In addition, tests for moderating effects showed that (a) the attractiveness bias did not differ between studies that provided low versus high amounts of job-relevant information about the targets, (b) the same bias was greater for within-subjects research designs than for between-subjects designs, (c) professionals were as susceptible to the bias as were college students, (d) attractiveness was as important for men as for women, and (e) the biasing effect of attractiveness has decreased in recent years. Implications of these findings are considered.

    Journal Title

    Personnel Psychology

    Volume

    56

    Issue/Number

    2

    Publication Date

    1-1-2003

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    431

    Last Page

    462

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000183686200006

    ISSN

    0031-5826

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