Beautiful inside and out? The role of physical attractiveness in predicting altruistic behaviour

Abstract

Physical attractiveness has been found to influence labour market outcomes, including employment and remuneration. Researchers have also found links between attractiveness and dimensions that are likely to impact career or academic success, such as trust and cooperation. There is less research on physical attractiveness in interactions that are not inherently reciprocal in nature. We are interested in whether altruistic decisions are impacted by perceptions of physical attractiveness in South Africa, a country with significant racial and cultural diversity. We use a dictator game (n = 338, for 1689 decisions) to experimentally investigate whether people perceived as more attractive are treated with more altruism and whether attractive people behave more altruistically. We find more altruism shown towards attractive respondents, particularly from decision-makers who see themselves as less attractive. Less attractive decision-makers also show more altruism than decision-makers who rate themselves as more attractive.