Scholarlink

<p>This research explored how laywomen perceive and prioritize the functions of physical attractiveness, with particular attention to how sociocultural beliefs and structural inequality, such as gender earnings disparities, shape these views. Study 1 employed a qualitative approach to examine women’s beliefs from both third-person (Study 1a) and first-person (Study 1b) perspectives. Most participants viewed attractiveness as a valuable asset across domains such as mate selection, employment, and social relationships, while a minority expressed more limited or skeptical views, often describing themselves as having average attractiveness. Study 2 used an experimental design to test how women prioritize the mating versus job-hunting functions of attractiveness when exposed to high or low gender earnings inequality. Results showed that while attractiveness was generally seen as beneficial, prioritization patterns depended on traditional gender ideology. Women with weaker traditional beliefs were more likely to emphasize the labor market utility of attractiveness, especially under high gender inequality. In contrast, women with stronger traditional beliefs showed no clear preference. These findings suggest that women’s instrumental use of appearance is shaped by sociocultural beliefs and structural inequality.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Beauty Is Currency: Laywomen’s Perceptions of the Social and Instrumental Functions of Physical Attractiveness

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月8日

查看全文
  • Lijuan Xiao,
  • Baolin Li,
  • Fang Wang

摘要

This research explored how laywomen perceive and prioritize the functions of physical attractiveness, with particular attention to how sociocultural beliefs and structural inequality, such as gender earnings disparities, shape these views. Study 1 employed a qualitative approach to examine women’s beliefs from both third-person (Study 1a) and first-person (Study 1b) perspectives. Most participants viewed attractiveness as a valuable asset across domains such as mate selection, employment, and social relationships, while a minority expressed more limited or skeptical views, often describing themselves as having average attractiveness. Study 2 used an experimental design to test how women prioritize the mating versus job-hunting functions of attractiveness when exposed to high or low gender earnings inequality. Results showed that while attractiveness was generally seen as beneficial, prioritization patterns depended on traditional gender ideology. Women with weaker traditional beliefs were more likely to emphasize the labor market utility of attractiveness, especially under high gender inequality. In contrast, women with stronger traditional beliefs showed no clear preference. These findings suggest that women’s instrumental use of appearance is shaped by sociocultural beliefs and structural inequality.