Effects of Physical Attractiveness on Income

An evolutionary psychologist has been urging and justifying that beauty matters in various real-life issues. They have warranted that physical attractiveness is one of the significant factors that determine human mating preferences. After the research was carried out on the beauty, economists have recently discovered that beauty matters in the economic and business spectrum (“Physical Attractiveness, Employment, And Earnings”) . Economists have proven that most employers prefer to employ attractive people since they have an assumption that physically attractive people are trustworthy and in most cases, they are given loans more efficiently, and in discounted interest rates as compared to less attractive people. As a result of this, it was named “economics of beauty.” Beautiful people are more likely to receive an invitation to job interviews as many of employers refers to them as competent employees, and they are also prone to receive high earning as compared to other employees (Commisso & Finkelstein, 2012). 

On the other hand, the less attractive people receive little work privileges and earn fewer incomes. Most employers have a great taste and preference to hire beautiful persons in their organization. Thus, this discrimination that results due to beauty preference has resulted in an income gap and discrimination where attractive people have ease of getting employed and paid highly as compared to less attractive employees. 

Beauty Standards and Measures 

There is a direct relationship between beauty and income level to an individual. Beauty economics has resulted in beauty standards and measures to emerge (“Physical Attractiveness, Employment And Earnings”) . The economy of vision has led to employee discrimination, where an attractive employee has a high chance of receiving various privileges and income as compared to an average and less attractive employees (Dipboye & Dhahani, 2017). As a result of this beauty and taste preference to employers when hiring employees, it was our role to interview various respondents who were to provide us with beauty and income-earning ratings. 

Rating Distribution Table 

Rating by Sex by the Interviewer 

Physical attractiveness level	No of male interviewed	Interviewers rating	No. of female interviewed	Interviewers rating
Above Average looks	466	31.59%	396	37.57%
Average Looks	849	57.56%	533	50.57%
Below Average Looks	160	10.85%	125	11.86%

Rating by Sex by Respondents 

Physical attractiveness level	No of male respondents	Respondents rating	No. of female respondents	Respondents rating
Above Average looks	382	382 30.44%	480	37.68%
Average Looks	715	56.97%	667	52.35%
Below Average Looks	158	12.59%	127	9.96%

The rating scale, which was standards throughout the data collection process was 1 (unattractive) - 7.75 (average attractive) - 11 (very attractive). Most of the respondents involved in this data coaction process were the employers of various organizations. The main reason we opted to collect data from them is that they have reliable information and rights why they prefer hiring attractive people in their various organizations. After receiving this empirical data from multiple individuals, we discovered that they had a similarity in physical attractiveness determination of personal income level. 

From the data, we determined that attractive people have high-income rates and much preferred by many employers since they are considered to be trustworthy and submissive to their work operations as compared to less attractive people who have fewer privileges. This data had a significant implication to our research when beauty standards are emphasized in a sufficient time horizon. They can have a substantial impact on labor supply decisions. Hence, we can justify those beauty standards, and measures can harm the labor supply. A practical example from data collected on the effects of beauty is on lawyers’ beauty attractiveness level. After graduation, a male graduate had high chances to get employed as his beauty level, was above the beauty level, his salary level was increased by 10% per year to a female graduate whose beauty rating was below average. Thus, chances to get employment opportunities were limited as her beauty attractiveness level was not persuasive to employers (Wang, 2009). From this case scenario, it is a clear justification that beauty plays an essential factor in the economic sector. 

Theoretical Predictions and Analyses 

Using a Standard Neoclassical model that has a significant influence on labor supply, many employees are prone to dividing their hours in terms of the work market, household activities and leisure. The aspect depends on the productivity margin and income earned by an individual ("Physical Attractiveness, Employment And Earnings") . As a result of productivity discrimination, it has been proven that an attractive individual has high chances of being offered high pays as compared to a less peer. Using physical attractiveness as a determinant of income-earning to an individual produces a negative implication in a workspace, such as an impact on production-substitution. Secondly, leisure for an attractive person becomes expensive, and workload to less attractive peers is increased. Lastly, an increase in income-earning to an appealing individual leads to an increase in their income and expenses. If the substitution effect continues to dominate the financial world and income, it shall affect the physically attractive individuals. Thus, they will significantly supply more labor as compared to less attractive peers since employers have a taste of hiring physically attractive employees. 

It is theoretically proven that physically attractive people have a significant impact on inducing high wages. Hence, we can justify that physical appearance has a significant effect on the labor supply market. As a result of beauty preference and taste from various employers from various organizations, physically attractive people have a high chance of being invited for job interviews and being employed as early as possible ("Physical Attractiveness, Employment, and Earnings") . In this research, we had to use an empirical equation that would assist us in the determination of the effects of physical attractiveness on the income levels earned by individuals. We had to use a different variable in our equation that included in income determination taking into account the attractiveness level of an individual. It was composed of age, BMI, Physical health, Personality attractiveness, and education level. 

Yearly income = β0 + β1Race + β2Gender + β3Physical attractiveness + β4BMI + β5Age+ Β6Personality attractiveness + β7Physical health + β8Education + ε 

Reliable data that we were able to collect from various interview respondents is the one that we will use in this equation. The variable will assist us in determining the impact of physical factors on an individual income, race, age, gender, BMI and personality attractiveness that have a significant influence on an individual physical attractiveness level. Hence, we had to include these influencing factors in the income determination equation. 

Empirical Results 

A descriptive statistical data suggested that beauty matters in real-life scenarios. Comparing the income earned by average-looking individuals and highly attractive peers, their income levels differ significantly. For handsome men, they are offered a 10% income increment, and beautiful women are offered a 20-25% salary increment. Beauty standards have been used as the measure of the income level of an individual. As a result, it has led to discrimination in workplaces since less attractive peers enjoy fewer privileges as compared to attractive peers who enjoy various opportunities such as wage increment, putting the working time for both peers standard. From this longitudinal data we were able to obtain, we were able to determine that attractive individuals have high chances of being employed and offered high pays as compared to less attractive individuals. It ought to be noted that using physical attractiveness level as the employment and income pay determinant have impact decisions made in the labor market. 

Beauty and Employment 

I had to run a probity model which helped me in the determination of whether physical attractiveness has an impact to high employment probabilities. In this model, I used the dependent variable as the dummy variable, which indicates whether an individual is working positive hours in regular working hours and weeks ("Physical Attractiveness, Employment And Earnings") . Secondly, I had to consider whether the individual who is the respondents to my interview is fully employed or not, which means that I will determine whether interview respondents work more than 20 hours a day. I had to satisfy my analysis by considering many influencing factors such as age, educational level, and social, economic factors in my review. Since physical health is another determinant of beauty, I had to set another dummy variable which contained various information regarding an individual health assessment data. 

Beauty and Income Levels 

I have proven that beauty has a significant role in the economic spectrum, taking into consideration various factors that influence the physical appearance of an individual. We can justify that beauty has a substantial moat on the income level to an individual. From empirical data we were able to collect from various individuals, we discovered that attractive people have high possibilities of securing employment opportunities, and at the same time, they are offered high wages ("Physical Attractiveness, Employment And Earnings") . Beauty as a determinant factor has impacted labor supply market where the attractive individuals have dominated the job market as compared to less attractive peers. From the data, we discovered that various respondents to our interview had similar views and response that employees are prone to hiring only beautiful individuals and offering them wage increment within a short period. Arguing logically, this has resulted in work place discrimination since only attractive peers are provided job promotions and wage increment without considering the working period of the peer and his or her experience. 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, from this research, we can justify that beauty has a significant impact on an individual’s income earning level. A high attractive individual can be accorded to earn highly as compared to a less attractive individual. High levels of the physical attractiveness of an individual are directly related to the high income earning an individual will be offered when employed. From this research, we have been able to discover that beauty level is a significant factor that determines the employment status of an individual. Practically, a physically attractive individual has high possibilities of being employed as compared to a less attractive individual. Using physical attractiveness as the primary determinant of income level and employment status of an individual has resulted to discrimination in various workplaces. In many cases, employers expect that highly experienced employees should be the one offered high wages and job promotion yet this is ironical since salary increment and promotions are currently determined using physical attractiveness levels of an individual. 

References 

Commisso, M., & Finkelstein, L. (2012). Physical Attractiveness Bias in Employee Termination.  Journal Of Applied Social Psychology ,  42 (12), 2968-2987. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2012.00970.x 

Dipboye, R., & Dhahani, L. (2017). Exploring the Effects of Physical Attractiveness in Job Applicant Evaluations: Taking into Account Stimulus Variability.  SSRN Electronic Journal . https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2928874 

"Physical Attractiveness, Employment, And Earnings." Taylor & Francis , 2020, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13504851.2011.587758 . 

Wang, A. (2009). Physical Attractiveness and its Effects on Social Treatment and Inequality. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1518099