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The Aye of the Beholder: Susceptibility to Sexism and Beautyism in the Evaluation of Managerial Applicants 1
Author(s) -
Cash Thomas F.,
Kilcullen Robert N.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
journal of applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1559-1816
pISSN - 0021-9029
DOI - 10.1111/j.1559-1816.1985.tb00903.x
Subject(s) - attractiveness , psychology , physical attractiveness , masculinity , social psychology , femininity , interpersonal communication , interpersonal attraction , developmental psychology , attraction , linguistics , philosophy , psychoanalysis
Sex‐typed college students (16 males and 16 females) and androgynous college students (16 males and 16 females) evaluated the resumes of fictitious applicants for a managerial position described as requiring interpersonal competencies. The applicant's physical attractiveness, qualifications, and sex were systematically varied in the resumes. Five‐way analyses of variance were performed on the hiring decisions about the applicants and the perceived attractiveness, masculinity, femininity, and social desirability of the applicants. Hiring preferences were shown for attractive over unattractive applicants, for wellqualified over less qualified applicants, and among these preferred groups, males were favored over females. The subject's sex‐role orientation predictably moderated the effect of the applicant's attractiveness but not the effect of the applicant's sex. Sex‐typed subjects committed “beautyism” more than androgynous subjects did. The applicants' sex, qualifications, and attractiveness affected how they were perceived in terms of sex‐role attributes as well as sex‐irrelevant, socially desirable traits. Theoretical implications and suggestions for further research are discussed.