Assess The Impact Of Physical Attraction

Research has shown the impact of physical attraction during interpersonal interactions and the advantages of attractive versus unattractive person in various situations. For example, a study by Dion and Dion (1987) investigated the reliance of stereotypical attraction on assessing individuals’ life outcomes. Researchers predicted that participants believing in a just world were more likely to stereotype physically attractive people to deserve more socially desirable personality traits and positive life outcomes. Each participant was given a photograph, rating sheets, and a Global Belief in a Just World Scale (Lipkus, 1991) to judge and rate the person. The results showed that believers in a just world positively correlated with higher ratings of life-outcome and personality traits according to person’s level of attractiveness. These results suggest that people use attraction to assess outcomes.
Another study conducted by Tanaka (1999) examined bias in fairness of self-behaviors between just world believers and nonbelievers. Participants were given a Just World scale by Rubin and Peplau (1975) and asked to rate a list of fairness behaviors by checking “I” or “Others.” The results showed that egocentric fairness bias occurs with regard to personal
Prior research from Callan, Powell, and Ellard (2007) studied the reactions of participants toward tragic events and the threat of Belief in a Just World due to physical appearance. Participants were given a house fire victim story and two pictures depending on the conditioned assigned, then asked to fill out a questionnaire that measured the amount of attractiveness. On a seven point scale, participants also rated degrees of punishment and fairness for the accident. Results showed that the deaths of physically attractive people are viewed as more tragic than unattractive