Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin · 2010 · 197 citations · 63 references
The authors argue that attributing desirable interpersonal qualities to physically attractive people reflects a projection of the perceiver’s own desire to bond, rather than traditional stereotyping. The mechanism is that perceivers’ heightened desire to bond with attractive individuals leads them to view attractive targets as more interpersonally receptive and responsive. Across three studies, evidence—including response latency data—supports the projection model that people view attractive individuals as more receptive and responsive.
The authors posit that the attribution of desirable interpersonal qualities to physically attractive targets is a projection of interpersonal goals; people desire to form and maintain close social bonds with attractive targets and then project these motivations onto those targets. Three studies support this model. Tendencies to see attractive novel targets depicted in photographs (Study 1), attractive romantic partners (Study 2), and attractive friends (Study 3) as especially interpersonally receptive and responsive were explained by perceivers’ heightened desires to bond with attractive individuals. Additional findings regarding response latencies (Study 1) also supported this model. Many instances of the “beautiful is good” effect may not reflect stereotyping as it is typically construed. Rather, they may reflect projection of heightened desires to bond with beautiful people.
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Feeling and thinking: Preferences need no inferences.
Robert B. Zajonc · American Psychologist · 1980 · 7.8K citations · Full text
Karen K. Dion, Ellen Berscheid, Elaine Walster · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · 1972 · 3.8K citations
John K. Rempel, John G. Holmes, Mark P. Zanna · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · 1985 · 2.8K citations