Is Beauty More Than Skin Deep? Attractiveness, Power, and Nonverbal Presence in the Assessment of Hirability

First published: June 30, 2021 https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12469

Commentary

In life, being "good looking" can be more rewarding than any skill.

Relevant research has shown that attractive individuals are more likely to advance in their careers.

Another study suggests that the biases of the people who evaluate them affect an individual's career, and that being attractive is a major factor in success. However, there is also research that suggests that this individual may be socialized to recognize behaviors that are different from others in ways that contribute to success. Based on these findings, this study will investigate the nonverbal communication of individuals with various physical attractiveness.

The study used data from 300 video interview pitches and two experimental studies showed that attractive individuals had a greater sense of power and a more effective nonverbal presence than unattractive individuals.

As a result, we found that attractive individuals were rated higher.

We also identified potential means of leveling these results. We found that adopting a strong posture was beneficial for individuals rated as less attractive, and that they could achieve the same level of effective nonverbal presence that their attractive counterparts would naturally display.

Therefore, these results suggest a remedy for individuals who are outperformed by attractive individuals.