Why Attractive People Get Better Grades
Whether we like to admit it or not, we are biased toward people whom we deem "physically attractive" -- college professors are no exception
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A new study published in the journal Inside Higher Ed explores how professors treat students, based on subjective standards of physical attractiveness. The findings are not exactly Earth-shattering. Researchers found that women who were rated as less attractive had slightly lower grades than their "better looking" peers. This disparity, albeit small, was essentially null in the group of participants taking online courses. The authors of the study said it was likely a mix of professors investing more time with the more attractive students as well as simply giving them better grades. This trend does not seem isolated to the world of higher education either. Analysis of data taken from nearly 9,000 high school students found similar results. This research reaffirms what's known as the Physical Attractiveness Stereotype-a term used by psychologists that people believe attractiveness correlates with intelligence.
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Better-looking students get better grades - but not in online classes (The Washington Post)
"Two economists knew that appearance matters: Studies had shown all sorts of benefits linked to attractiveness, everything from dating to salaries to ratings of how well professors teach classes."
Kids are more likely to trust attractive adults (Science Daily)
"Children are more likely to trust an adult with an attractive face compared to an unattractive one. This is the finding of research by Igor Bascandziev from Clark University and Harvard University that will be published in the British Journal of Developmental Psychology."