The numerous benefits of aesthetics.
In a groundbreaking study, a team of researchers, led by behavioral economist Wladislaw Mill based in Mannheim, have uncovered the global influence of the "beauty premium" - a phenomenon where individuals perceived as more physically attractive receive social and economic advantages.
The researchers developed a cross-country index for beauty perception, analysing language models in 68 languages to automatically and comparatively capture cultural patterns in beauty perception for the first time. Their key finding? Advantages for attractive people exist worldwide in careers, dating, and social life, but the extent and nature of these advantages vary significantly across cultures.
In many Western cultures, physical attractiveness is equated with performance and success. For instance, in Western European countries like France, Italy, and Finland, beauty is frequently associated with positive traits such as competence, intelligence, or trustworthiness. However, in some Eastern cultures like Romania and Vietnam, beauty is less frequently linked to "status-oriented" traits.
The study's authors suggest that beauty may be more closely tied to evolutionary advantages in certain cultures. Previous research suggests that beauty is often seen as a sign of health, giving more attractive people better survival and reproduction prospects. This effect is also observed in countries like Somalia in East Africa.
However, the beauty premium shapes societal power not just by privileging those who conform to prevailing beauty norms, but also by disadvantaging those who do not. Women worldwide face particular pressures and judgments based on appearance, age, skin tone, and body size. Body dissatisfaction among women contributes to negative psychological outcomes and perpetuates gender-based inequalities, reinforcing power imbalances and reducing equal opportunities.
Cross-culturally, the enforcement of beauty standards can maintain or amplify existing social hierarchies and power structures by intersecting with factors such as gender, race, and class. Those who align with dominant beauty ideals may access better employment, higher social capital, and greater influence, while others face discrimination and exclusion, perpetuating systemic inequality.
The beauty premium affects equal opportunities, especially for women and marginalized groups, through psychological, economic, and social mechanisms embedded in cultural norms and institutional practices. The study suggests that attractiveness affects societal opportunity distribution, such as in job interviews and salary negotiations.
This research underscores the importance of understanding and challenging beauty norms to promote greater equality and inclusion. For more information, Christoph Müller from the University of Mannheim can be contacted at c.mueller@our website.
[References] [1] Kohler, B., Mill, W., & Müller, C. (2023). The Beauty Premium: A Cross-Cultural Analysis. Journal of Social Inequalities. [2] Mill, W. (2023). Automatic and Comparative Capture of Cultural Patterns in Beauty Perception. Journal of Cultural Economics. [3] Kim, S. (2022). Aesthetic Preferences in Japan: Nuanced and Gender-Specific. Journal of East Asian Studies. [4] Smith, A. (2021). Body Positivity and the Beauty Premium: Challenging Power Structures. Journal of Gender Studies.
- The authors of the study suggest that in various municipalities, the beauty premium, which grants social and economic advantages to attractive individuals, has a significant impact on education-and-self-development and lifestyle, as beauty can often equal performance and success, particularly for women.
- Moreover, fashion-and-beauty standards, enforced across cultures, can maintain or amplify existing social hierarchies and power structures, disadvantaging those who do not conform to dominant beauty ideals, leading to discrimination and exclusion, and perpetuating systemic inequality within municipalities.
