Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
publishedVersion
Publication Date
7-2024
Abstract
Beautism reflects the phenomenon of a widespread positivity bias that physically attractive people enjoy. This bias results in more attractive people receiving more positive social judgments, interactions, and economic outcomes. However, the literature has largely focused on third-party judgments of physical attractiveness, neglecting examinations of how self-rated attractiveness may predict self-evaluations. We sought to address this gap by examining how self-rated attractiveness predicts self-inferred social status, which is related to a myriad of psychosocial outcomes. Across one pilot test, one cross-sectional study, and a between-subjects experiment, we find converging evidence for the notion that self-rated physical attractiveness positively predicts higher self-inferred status. We discuss how this finding may have implications for status-navigating strategies in light of the malleability of self-rated attractiveness in a variety of social and occupational contexts.
Keywords
Self-rated attractiveness, Physical attractiveness, Esthetic labor, Social status, Beautism, Self-perceptions
Discipline
Social Psychology
Research Areas
Psychology
Publication
Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology
Volume
7
First Page
1
Last Page
11
ISSN
2666-6227
Identifier
10.1016/j.cresp.2024.100205
Publisher
Elsevier
Citation
TAN, Lynn K. L., FOLWARCZNY, Michal, OTTERBRING, Tobias, & LI, Norman P..(2024). Hot at the top: The influence of self-rated attractiveness on self-perceived status. Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology, 7, 1-11.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/4143
Copyright Owner and License
Authors-CC-BY
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cresp.2024.100205