#45 The Ugly Side of Beauty
Have you ever judged someone by their appearance, and later realized you were wrong?
In The Ugly Side of Beauty, psychologists Zayas and Johnson discuss “the beauty bias,” the subconscious way we treat attractive people differently. According to numerous studies, beautiful people are more likely to:
Be considered competent, strong, happy, and intelligent.
Earn more money.
Be given more attention by teachers.
Receive lighter sentences from judges.
There is an exception, however – in some business settings, attractive women were judged as less trustworthy, while this didn’t apply to men.
These biases are hard-wired in the brain and are difficult to overcome, though being aware of them helps. At an organizational level, recruitment teams can establish systems to combat bias, for example:
Removing the names and photos of short-listed candidates from their applications, before sharing them with the hiring panel
Disabling the camera for meeting attendees before interviews begin