Physical Attractiveness and Assumptions about Social Deviance

The hypothesis that individuals would sort less attractive individuals into categories representing various forms of minor social deviance was tested. As predicted, both male and female subjects selected less attractive individuals of both sexes as more likely to be politically radical. Female homosexuals were also selected from less attractive stimulus photographs by both sexes whereas less attractive males were selected as homosexuals only by female subjects. Both sexes selected less attractive males as those with stereotypically feminine occupational aspirations, but did not attribute masculine occupational aspirations to unattractive females. In contrast to earlier studies, only the feminist-nonfeminist label failed to produce any categorization based on physical attractiveness. Findings were discussed in terms of the evaluation process as a measure of social desirability.