Depression, Physical Attractiveness, and Interpersonal Acceptance

This study examined how observers integrate depressive content and style with physical attractiveness in their reaction to a person. Males responded to a videotaped interview of a woman who was trained to alter the content of her speech, her style, and her physical attractiveness. Paper-and-pencil measures revealed that the nondepressed-content/nondepressed-style confederate was most accepted. On a helping measure, subjects were willing to spend more time assisting the attractive confederate presenting inconsistent messages. The nondepressed-content/nonde-pressed-style confederate was seen as possessing the greatest mental health. Subjects' mood was unaffected by manipulation.