Why looking 'too pretty' in the workplace is a disadvantage, according to a behavioral analyst

Many group judge that life is easier for beautiful people. 

But studies propose that beautiful women person it harder successful nan workplace than average-looking women aliases men, Wendy Patrick, a criminal lawyer and teacher successful nan Fowler School of Business astatine San Diego Statue University, said. 

Good-looking women are seen arsenic little trustworthy, much manipulative and 'dangerous'. 

On apical of that, beautiful women are much apt to beryllium objectified, putting them successful positions wherever their profession is compromised, Dr Patrick explained. 

This stems from primal feelings of jealousy and title Dr Patrick, wrote successful a file for Psychology Today. 

'Highly charismatic women tin beryllium considered arsenic dangerous,' Stefanie Johnson , an subordinate professor of Organizational Leadership and Information Analytics astatine University of Colorado who has studied nan topic, told nan San Diego Union Tribune. 

It's not each bad news for beautiful people. A 2022 Harvard study suggested that charismatic group are much apt to execute amended successful occupation interviews and gain much money than mean looking people. 

Also, group who were rated arsenic charismatic moreover arsenic a teen were recovered to beryllium much apt to gain much than their parents 20 years later than those not rated attractive, in a 2023 study from nan Polish Academy of Sciences. 

However, these benefits were overmuch much pronounced for men than for women. 

Even if charismatic women person an advantage successful landing a caller position, it tin beryllium harder for them to beryllium that they earned their position and merit to support it.  Two influential studies person cemented this idea, Dr Patrick said.  

The first, published successful 2012 by Professor Susanne Braun, who specializes successful psychology and activity astatine Durham University Business School successful nan UK recovered that charismatic women were seen arsenic little competent erstwhile applying to 'masculine jobs' for illustration construction. 

The 2nd study of this benignant was published successful 2018 by Professor Johnson and Leah Sheppard, an adjunct professor astatine Washington State University, and made waves crossed headlines. 

It asked study participants to reappraisal nan capacity of some charismatic and unattractive men and women announcing hypothetical layoffs. They besides were asked whether that personification should beryllium fired. 

The authors recovered that participants classed charismatic women arsenic much deserving of being fired, little trustworthy and little truthful than their antheral counterparts and unattractive female counterparts. 

This, nan study authors suggested, is owed to ancient evolutionary instincts - wherein women are taught to spot charismatic counterparts arsenic title and men are taught to spot charismatic women arsenic desirable, but perchance untrustworthy. 

'We fishy it’s nan trope of nan evil seductress: a subconscious worry among group of some sexes that beautiful women will usage their looks to manipulate people, mostly men,'  Professor Sheppard told nan Harvard Business Review.

In addition, there's nan evident facet that charismatic women are much apt to beryllium objectified sexually than non charismatic women - which tin lead to vulnerable and unprofessional situations successful nan activity environment, Dr Patrick said.  

It's not intolerable to flooded these biases, Dr Patrick said. It mightiness conscionable return beautiful group longer to triumph their colleagues complete than mean looking people. 

 'Physical attractiveness is only 1 facet of nan workplace experience. Kind, compassionate, gracious behaviour tin outweigh quality biases,' Dr Patrick said.