I was in the gym last night and there was some show featuring Paris Hilton on the television. Rather annoyingly the gym manager has removed the ability to change channel so you're kinda stuck with what they give you, which in this case was Paris and her chums doing things in Las Vegas. The popular perception of Hilton is that she epitomises the notion that beautiful people are shallow and vain.
Is that perception an accurate one though? New research suggests that the opposite might actually be the case. The researchers asked participants to complete a Personal Orientation Inventory (POI), which aims to determine how we perceive ourselves. The test looks at things such spontaneity, self-acceptance and self-actualisation.
Alongside this test, participants were asked to submit a photo of themselves, which was then rated for physical attractiveness by a six person panel.
The study revealed that participants in the high attractiveness group scored significantly higher on 7 of the 12 POI scales in comparison to the participants in the low attractiveness group. Beautiful people did better on:
- Inner-Directed
- Self-Actualising Value
- Feeling Reactivity
- Spontaneity
- Self-Regard
- Self-Acceptance
- and Capacity for Intimate Contact.
So why are beautiful people more comfortable with themselves? The researchers suggest it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. Lots of research suggests that physically attractive people are regarded more by their peers. They're thought of as more confident, socially skilled, dominant and so on. If you hear this often enough it's bound to make you believe what you're being told and to act accordingly.
Self-acceptance is undoubtedly easier when you’re physically attractive. Moreover, this feeling is reinforced when other people constantly reassure you of your own worth by their attentiveness.
However, I’m not convinced this actually makes attractive people less neurotic. Indeed, it probably makes them more self-centered and apt to value their own opinions more than is warranted.
I wonder if this changes based on the self perception of the individual? I mean do you need to believe yourself to be beautiful for this to work?
I wonder if it's more that people who are more psychologically accepting of themselves and others, might, on average, end up being more more attractive to others?
I’m not convinced this actually makes attractive people less neurotic. Indeed, it probably makes them more self-centered and apt to value their own opinions more than is warranted.
Beautiful people tend to be self-centered and promiscuous? Tell us something we don't already know.