The experiment, “What is Beautiful is Good” by Dion, Berscheid & Walster (1972), is purposed to depict the possibility that there is an existing correlation between inward character and one’s outward appearance. The designed experiment was in attempt to determine whether or not individuals associate certain personality traits/ success potential (social desirability, ability lead better lives) with persons of specific levels of attractiveness and if so, what causes this correlation. Also taken in to account was jealousy so Sex of Subject X Sex of Stimulus Person was investigated.
Sixty Students (30 male, 30 female) were placed in designated rooms where they were introduced to the experiment. They were each given 3 envelopes containing pictures of stimuli persons described as physically attractive, average attractive, and unattractive. The dependant variables included the judgments made by the subject students about the stimuli persons which were recorded in booklets. The students first rated each photo for 27 different personality traits on a 6-point scale. To determine the level of social desirability each stimuli possessed, the subjects then graded the stimuli on 5 different personality traits depending on which of the three possessed the most or least amount of the given trait. In order to asses whether or not more attractive people were more likely to lead happier, more successful lives, the students were asked to state which of the three stimuli were more or less likely to experience certain life experiences. Lastly, to test the assumed occupational success of the stimuli, the subjects associated a status level of 10 different occupations with each stimulus.
As predicted, the attractive individuals were expected to live happier and more successful lives. The results show that the subjects assumed the attractive stimuli would be more socially desirable, have higher occupational status, better marital competence, social and professional happiness and were more likely to marry. However, unexpectedly, the subjects assumed the attractive stimuli would have the least parental competence
This study is an experiment and not a correlation because it includes dependant variables and a control. The independent variables in the experiment are the pictures of the stimuli, the subjects, and the questions asked. The dependant variables are the responses given about the stimuli by the subjects and the control is the picture of the average attractive stimuli.
However successful, the experiment could have been affected by certain flaws. There is a possibility of sensory leakage, for instance, if the subject were to look over at another subject’s notebook, he/she may unknowingly be influenced causing him/her to rate the stimuli in a similar manner. This would, in turn, create an inaccurate result. Another experimental flaw is the lack of randomization. The subjects may have recognized the pattern (attractive, average, unattractive) and based his/her decision on the perceived rather than their unbiased opinion. To improve the accuracy of the experiment, the subjects could be placed in separate rooms with no access/communication to the other subjects.
In the future, some areas of research include exploring any truth behind the “What is Beautiful is Good” theory of perception. Experimenters could study the social success levels reached by attractive, average, and unattractive subjects. Personally, I feel that in society we are taught to live by the “What is Beautiful is Good” theory. Why else would we dress up for interviews? Or court appearances? We are told that first impressions are everything and that your outward appearance is the first impression you give.
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