Scientists ’ facial appearance affects our perception of their work

Participants were more interested in the work of attractive scientists, but assumed it was lower quality By Emma Young Scientists are increasingly encouraged to communicate directly with non-experts, through newspaper and TV interviews, science festivals, online videos, and other channels. But the quality of their research or ideas alone is not enough to guarantee interest or support, suggests a series of new studies in PNAS. The way the general public responds is also influenced by the scientist’s facial appearance, an important finding, say the researchers, because the public communication of scientific findings shapes beliefs, opinion and policy. To probe the potential impact of first impressions, the researchers, led by William Skylark at the University of Cambridge, first obtained photographs of the faces of hundreds of male and female scientists, chosen at random from physics, genetics/human genetics and biological sciences departments of US and UK universities. One group of participants then rated these faces on a variety of social traits, relating to competence, sociability and morality (essentially, trustworthiness), as well as on attractiveness and perceived age. Other groups indicated how interested they would be in finding out more about each scientist’s research or how much the person looked like someone who conducts accurate and important research (the extent to which they looked like a “good scientist”). The participants were more interested i...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Faces Social Source Type: blogs