Physical Attractiveness, Message Evaluation, and Compliance: A Structural Examination

The persuasive efficacy of a model's physical attractiveness is examined, using both correlational and structural evidence. Attractive models apparently induce greater compliance by mediating receivers' perceptual processes; receivers initially form cognitive judgments of models based on their (logically unrelated) attractiveness and, in turn, use these judgments as the basis for assessing the persuasiveness of the message the models present. Compliance, although based nominally on rational evaluation of a message, appears to be modified significantly by a beautiful-is-better assessment of the message's presenter.