A replication and extension of "Physical attractiveness and mental illness."

A. Farina et al (see record 1978-23202-001) investigated the relation between mental illness and physical attractiveness and found that female psychiatric inpatients were less attractive than normal controls. The current study extended this investigation in 2 ways. First, 28 psychiatric inpatients were compared to 3 separate control groups of 53 low, middle, and high socioeconomic status Ss. Mental patients were judged significantly less attractive than either middle- or high-income controls but were not significantly different from low-income controls. Second, to examine physical attractiveness prior to hospitalization, attractiveness ratings of the patients' high school yearbook pictures were compared with ratings of the adjacent same-sex photographs. Patients' photographs were judged significantly less attractive than their peers' even in high school. Findings suggest that being physically unattractive may predispose an individual to a number of negative social outcomes, one of which is mental illness. (5 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of physical attractiveness in the readjustment of discharged psychiatric patients.

27 female and 22 male psychiatric inpatients (aged 18–56 yrs) about to be discharged to the community were rated for physical attractiveness, and their adjustment was assessed 6 mo after discharge. Before discharge, Ss' premorbid adjustment, physical attractiveness, adequacy of present interpersonal behavior, and present hospital adjustment were assessed. Six months after discharge, Ss were interviewed, and time out of the hospital, social competence, and a friend's or relative's ratings of the Ss were measured. Findings show that Ss who were more physically attractive stayed out of the hospital longer than the less attractive ones. Females who were relatively more attractive were perceived as being better adjusted by the friend or relative; this relationship was not present for males. Implications for the role of physical attractiveness in the etiology and maintenance of mental disorders are discussed. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Impressions of counselors as a function of counselor physical attractiveness.

Assessed the effects of counselor physical attractiveness and interactions between attractiveness and counselor and S sex. 40 male and 40 female undergraduates rated their 1st impressions of a counselor and their expectations for counseling outcome on the basis of a photograph of either an attractive or an unattractive person and a brief, audiotaped self-introduction by either a male or a female counseling psychologist. Attractiveness did not show main effects but did interact with sex variables, which did show several main effects. Female counselors, particularly in the attractive condition, received higher ratings than male counselors on several impression variables, and female Ss gave higher ratings on impression variables than did male Ss. Both attractive and unattractive counselors were within the normal range of attractiveness, however. It is suggested that within the natural setting, sex of counselor and client may play a more important role independently and in conjunction with attractiveness than does attractiveness alone in influencing impressions and expectations. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Body image, physical attractiveness, and depression.

224 17–63 yr olds completed measures of self-perceived physical attractiveness and depression, and static full-body videotapes of Ss were assessed by objective raters, to investigate the relationship between Ss' body image, rated physical attractiveness, and depression. Measures included the Body-Self Relations Questionnaire, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), a body parts satisfaction scale, and a self-labeling depression scale. Ss were classified as depressed (n?=?35) or nondepressed (n?=?42) on the basis of conjunctive criteria of self-labeling and extreme groups on the CES-D. It was hypothesized that (1) depressed Ss would report being less satisfied with their body parts and physical appearance and would regard themselves as less physically attractive than would nondepressed Ss, (2) objective raters would perceive depressed Ss as less physically attractive than nondepressed Ss, and (3) depressed Ss would distort their degree of physical attractiveness and perceive themselves to be less attractive than objective raters regarded them. Results indicate that, as hypothesized, depressed Ss were less satisfied with their bodies and saw themselves as less physically attractive than nondepressed Ss. These groups did not differ with respect to observer-rated physical attractiveness. Support was obtained for A. T. Beck's (1973, 1976) cognitive hypothesis that depressed persons negatively distort their body images; however, results also indicate substantial positive distortion among nondepressed Ss. (40 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of analogue strategies for investigating the influence of counselors' physical attractiveness.

Assessed the validity of examining the influence of counselor's physical attractiveness via observation of videotape segments. The 1st section of the study involved a replication of a study by T. F. Cash et al (see record 1975-25729-001) using 3-min videotaped excerpts of introductory presentations made by 3 male and 3 female graduate-student counselors. 40 undergraduates were Ss. Two control conditions (audio-only and video-only observations) were used for comparisons. In the 2nd section, the same 6 counselors each saw 5 clients over 4 sessions for an individually administered assertiveness-training program. Ss in all conditions provided standardized ratings of counselor attractiveness, technical skill, and social competence. Counselor ratings were highly influenced by modality of presentation, with in-vivo contact yielding more positive impressions than those made after simply observing the counselor. Physical attractiveness was a less powerful predictor of counselor effectiveness than perceived technical skill. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A direct test of and an alternative explanation for judgments of attractiveness of supporters of the women's movement.

Previous studies investigated the possible bias against women who support the women's movement, using a paradigm requiring Ss to sort photographs into 2 categories. Based on these sortings, differential judgments of physical attractiveness were inferred without having the Ss who performed the sorting actually rate the photos. To provide increased confidence in the previous findings, the present authors asked 91 female and 69 male undergraduates to rate photos thought to depict persons with varying positions toward the movement. Additionally, correlational data were gathered to test the explanation of an attitude similarity mediated error that can subsume the previous mixed findings. The results replicated the earlier findings, indicating no general bias against supporters. There were no differences between male and female Ss on their mean ratings of either male or female photographs and no attribution of profeminist attitudes to lower attractiveness ratings for either male or female Ss. However, attractiveness ratings were related to Ss' attitudes. It is concluded that persons erroneously perceive similar others to be more attractive than dissimilar others, rather than perceiving supporters in general to be less attractive. (French abstract) (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Beyond initial attraction: Physical attractiveness in newlywed marriage.

Physical appearance plays a crucial role in shaping new relationships, but does it continue to affect established relationships, such as marriage? In the current study, the authors examined how observer ratings of each spouse's facial attractiveness and the difference between those ratings were associated with (a) observations of social support behavior and (b) reports of marital satisfaction. In contrast to the robust and almost universally positive effects of levels of attractiveness on new relationships, the only association between levels of attractiveness and the outcomes of these marriages was that attractive husbands were less satisfied. Further, in contrast to the importance of matched attractiveness to new relationships, similarity in attractiveness was unrelated to spouses' satisfaction and behavior. Instead, the relative difference between partners' levels of attractiveness appeared to be most important in predicting marital behavior, such that both spouses behaved more positively in relationships in which wives were more attractive than their husbands, but they behaved more negatively in relationships in which husbands were more attractive than their wives. These results highlight the importance of dyadic examinations of the effects of spouses' qualities on their marriages. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Limitations in generalizability of the physical attractiveness stereotype: The self-esteem exception.

Previous research has reported the existence of a physical attractiveness stereotype which results in several generalized assumptions about physically attractive individuals. Included in these assumptions is that physically attractive individuals are more capable on a number of dimensions and possess more socially desirable personality traits than less attractive individuals. It was predicted that self-esteem would interfere with the attractiveness stereotype in that low self-esteem (LSE) Ss would (a) denigrate an attractive other more than high self-esteem (HSE) Ss, (b) denigrate an attractive person more than an unattractive person, and (c) perceive greater situational similarity with an unattractive than attractive other, with HSE Ss perceiving the reverse. 80 female Ss designated either high or low in self-esteem, based on their scores on the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, evaluated either an attractive or unattractive stimulus person who had socially transgressed. Results indicate that, as predicted, LSE Ss tended to denigrate a transgressing attractive other more than HSE Ss. Although insignificant, the 2nd hypothesis was in the predicted direction in that LSE Ss judged a social transgression to be reflective of personality deficits more for the attractive than unattractive stimulus person. Situational similarity results were in accordance with predictions. (French summary) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

When counselors are heard but not seen: Initial impact of physical attractiveness.

Out of a total of 72 undergraduates, 24 males and 24 females viewed the videotaped professional self-presentation of a presumed counselor who was either physically attractive or unattractive. Ss then indicated their impressions of the counselor on 12 traits and their expectancies of the counselor's helpfulness for 15 personal problems. Relative to the physically unattractive counselor, the attractive counselor generally was perceived more favorably by both sexes, especially with regard to his intelligence, friendliness, assertiveness, trustworthiness, competence, warmth, and likeability. The attractive counselor also elicited more favorable counseling outcome expectancies for 8 of the specific personal problems. 2 control groups who listened to the tapes but were unaware of the counselor's appearance did not differ from each other in their ratings of the counselors. Results are discussed in the context of previous and further research on the physical attractiveness variable and in the context of their implications for counseling. (35 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Physical attractiveness and self-perception of mental disorder.

Prior research has reported a relation between physical attractiveness and severity of mental disorder, with less attractive people being more maladjusted. However, because these two variables have been measured simultaneously, it has not been possible to separate cause from effect. To clarify this question, in this study we first measured physical attractiveness, social competence, and perceived risk of developing a mental disorder in 280 college women. Seven months later, we measured the subjects' self-perception of having a mental disorder. Women who were more attractive were higher in social competence and lower in perceived risk of mental disorder. More attractive women were also lower in self-perception of mental disorder 7 months later. This relation between attractiveness and self-perception of mental disorder remained significant even after controlling for the Time 1 measures (social competence, perceived risk of mental disorder, and age). The implications of these findings for the hypothesized role of attractiveness in the determination of adjustment are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Inhibition of EGF and TGF-beta dependent transformation of NRK23 cells by Crk II-23 mutant]

This study explored adults' judgments of competent and dysfunctional children's behavioral adjustment based solely on children's physical appearance. Adults rated photographs of preschoolers (6 boys, 6 girls) who previously had been classified as socially competent or dysfunctional on the basis of independent, standardized teacher ratings. Participants, who were not given any information about the stimulus children, rated their photographs one at a time on measures of attractiveness, aggression, anxiety, social competence, and overall adjustment. Results indicated that dysfunctional children were easily distinguished from their competent peers. Specifically, dysfunctional children were rated as less attractive, more aggressive, more anxious, less socially competent, and more likely to have an emotional or behavioral problem than competent children. These findings (especially strong for aggressive boys), remained significant when group differences in attractiveness were statistically controlled. Implications for interpreting the current literature on attractiveness and for modification of childhood behavior disorders are discussed.     

Interpersonal effects of experimenter attractiveness, attire, and gender.

Investigated the effects of experimenter physical attractiveness and attire in same- and mixed-sex dyads. Six male and 6 female experimenters interacted with 30 male and 30 female undergraduate Ss. Each experimenter saw 1 male and 1 female while well-dressed and 1 male and 1 female while casually dressed. A vocabulary test and a photo-rating task were administered to Ss by experimenters in each meeting. Later, Ss completed the Adjective Check List (ACL) to indicate how they perceived the experimenter. Results show that experimenters in opposite-sex dyads received higher positivity ratings on the ACL; these ratings were also differentially affected by experimenters' sex and physical attractiveness, although no main effect for experimenter physical attractiveness was significant. Findings suggest the need for a more integrated, multivariable approach to interpersonal behavior. (41 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Classification and validation of behavioral subtypes of learning-disabled children.

63 1st and 2nd graders recently identified as having a learning disability (LD) and 66 normally developing Ss matched by grade, sex, and race with LD Ss were rated by teachers on the 60-item Classroom Behavior Inventory and observed using a time-sampling schedule of classroom activity norms. Analysis identified 7 distinct behavioral subtypes of LD Ss. In Cluster 1, 28.6% Ss had deficiencies in task-oriented behavior and independence. In Cluster 2 (25.4% of Ss) and Cluster 5 (9.5% of Ss), 2 variations of normal classroom behavior were represented. In Cluster 2, Ss had slightly elevated ratings on considerateness and introversion, while in Cluster 5, Ss were seen as slightly less considerate and more hostile. In Cluster 3, mild attention deficits in 14.3% of Ss were combined with high ratings on distractibility and hostility and low ratings on considerateness. In Cluster 4, 11% of Ss were withdrawn and overly dependent with low ratings on independence and extraversion and high ratings on dependence and introversion. In Cluster 6, 6.3% of Ss showed a pattern of a mild version of a global behavior disorder. In Cluster 7 (3 males), Ss were impaired on all classroom behaviors. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hypnosis for the treatment of burn pain.

Investigated the clinical utility of hypnosis for controlling pain during wound debridement. 30 hospitalized burn patients and their nurses submitted visual analog scales (VASs) for pain during 2 consecutive daily wound debridements. On the 1st day, patients and nurses submitted baseline VAS ratings. Before the next day's wound debridement, Ss received hypnosis, attention and information, or no treatment. Only hypnotized Ss reported significant pain reductions relative to pretreatment baseline. This result was corroborated by nurse VAS ratings. Findings indicate that hypnosis is a viable adjunct treatment for burn pain. Theoretical and practical implications and future research directions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceived attractiveness as a function of support for the feminist movement: Not necessarily a put-down of women.

Conducted 2 studies to replicate and extend the findings of P. A. Goldberg et al (see record 1975-27508-001) that Ss identified photos of unattractive women significantly more frequently than those of attractive women as being supporters of the women's liberation movement. In Study 1, photos were taken of 30 undergraduate women between the ages of 18 and 22 yrs and of 30 nonstudent women over the age of 25 yrs; these women were identified as supporters or nonsupporters of the feminist movement according to their scores on the Attitudes Toward Women Scale. Ratings of the physical attractiveness of the photographed women were made by 40 university students and by 40 nonstudents over age 25 yrs. Results show that such ratings were not related to the attitude scores of the photographed women. In Study 2, 40 additional college students and 40 additional nonstudents were given the same task with similar stimuli. Results show no significant difference between the mean attractiveness score of those women selected as supporters and those selected as nonsupporters, thus failing to replicate the findings of Goldberg et al. Male undergraduates, however, did choose photographs of less attractive women as members of the feminist movement, whereas female undergraduates chose photos of more attractive women. Neither male nor female nonstudents chose differently than chance. (French summary) (3 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

When similarity is a liability: Effects of sex-based preferential selection on reactions to like-sex and different-sex others.

In 2 laboratory studies, 145 male and female undergraduates were selected for the role of manager either on the basis of merit or preferentially on the basis of their sex. Results of the 1st study indicate that when female Ss had been selected preferentially as compared with on a merit basis, they reacted more negatively to female (but not to male) applicants for an entry-level position in terms of personnel evaluations and competence ratings and they recommended female applicants for hire less frequently and less enthusiastically. No differences in personnel evaluations were found as a result of preferential selection when the Ss were male (Study 1) or when Ss were provided with favorable information about their ability (Study 2). Implications for implementation of affirmative action programs are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)