Is being generous the next beauty trend?
Study confirms people perceived as more attractive are more likely to
give, and givers seen as more attractive

Date:
August 31, 2020
Source:
Indiana University
Summary:
New research found that more attractive people are more likely to
be givers, and givers are rated as more attractive.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
It has long been known that giving can have positive effects on the person
who is giving, such as an increase in happiness, confidence, and even
physical health. But research from Indiana University has found there
may be another potential implication of giving: physical attractiveness.


==========================================================================
The IU study, published in Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly,
found that more attractive people are more likely to be givers, and
givers are rated as more attractive.

"Poets and philosophers have suggested the link between moral and
physical beauty for centuries," said study co-author Sara Konrath,
who is an associate professor of philanthropic studies at the Lilly
Family School of Philanthropy on sabbatical this year at Notre Dame's
Institute for Advanced Study. "This study confirms that people who are perceived as more attractive are more likely to give and givers are
seen as more attractive." Konrath and study co-author Femida Handy,
of the University of Pennsylvania, used three large studies, one that
examined older adults at a single time, and two that started in late adolescence and followed participants for years -- one of these studies followed participants as late as older adulthood. Konrath and Handy
asked two research questions: Are individuals who undertake more giving behaviors rated as more physically attractive? And the reverse, are more physically attractive people more likely to undertake giving behaviors?
Those rating physical attractiveness had no information on participants'
giving behaviors, allowing the researchers to determine if a person's
giving behaviors correlated with physical attractiveness, without
the halo effect of raters being influenced by knowing participants'
giving behaviors.

When it comes to the older adults, volunteering and giving affection were related to higher attractiveness ratings. When it comes to young people,
those who volunteered rated higher.

"Although we cannot fully explain why the link between giving behaviors
and attractiveness exists, we find remarkable consistency across the
three studies, despite being conducted at different times, using different participants, and using different methods and measures," Handy said.

The paper is important, Konrath said, because it disproves the perception
that beautiful people are self-focused and vain. Instead, the studies
found that being rated as a little more attractive was associated with
a little more generosity. Furthermore, Konrath noted that people spend significant amounts of money on beauty products and cosmetic surgery to
improve their looks, yet it is possible that doing good could help to
draw inner beauty to the surface.

"Our findings suggest that beauty products and procedures may not
be the only way to enhance an individual's attractiveness," Konrath
said. "Perhaps being generous could be the next beauty trend."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Indiana_University. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Sara Konrath, Femida Handy. The Good-looking Giver Effect: The
Relationship Between Doing Good and Looking Good. Nonprofit
and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 2020; 089976402095083 DOI:
10.1177/0899764020950835 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200831112309.htm

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