Explaining financial and prosocial biases in favor of attractive people: Interdisciplinary perspectives from economics, social psychology, and evolutionary psychology. (10th June 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Maestripieri, Dario; Henry, Andrea; Nickels, Nora
• Is Part Of: Behavioral and brain sciences. Volume 39(2016)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 76
• Publication Date: 2016-06-10
• Subjects: attractiveness, -- financial decision-making, -- prosocial behavior, -- stereotypes, -- behavioral economics, -- evolutionary psychology; Psychophysiology -- Periodicals; Psychology -- Periodicals; Human behavior -- Periodicals; Animal behavior -- Periodicals; Brain -- Periodicals; 616.89142
• DOI: 10.1017/S0140525X16000340
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0140-525X

Abstract

Abstract: Financial and prosocial biases in favor of attractive individuals have been documented in the labor market, in everyday life social transactions, and in studies involving experimental economic games. Different explanations have been proposed by economists, social psychologists, and evolutionary psychologists. Some of these explanations assume that attractiveness is a marker of personality, intelligence, trustworthiness, professional competence, or productivity while others suggest that attractive individuals are favored because they are preferred sexual partners. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that mating motives play a more important role in driving financial and prosocial biases toward attractive adults than previously recognized.