While researchers have yet to determine exactly why people considered attractive are treated more leniently by the criminal justice system, studies on attractiveness in general seem to point to a hidden bias towards good-looking people. “The results generated from these studies have consistently shown that attractive people are perceived as being more intelligent, more socially competent, more mentally stable, and more trustworthy,” according to the 2019 study.
This is known as the halo effect of attractiveness and it appears to be an unconscious bias. “People who are physically attractive are assumed to be clever, successful, and have more friends,” researcher Sandie Taylor, Ph.D., told Psychology Today. “It is tragic in a way.” Taylor says that bias in favor of physically alluring people often has real-world implications because looks are not an indicator of true character.
This unconscious bias towards beauty starts early. Children deemed more attractive get a leg up academically as well, receiving more hands-on help from teachers and being judged as having more potential than less attractive children. The trend continues into the professional world. “Physically attractive individuals are more likely to be interviewed for jobs and hired, they are more likely to advance rapidly in their careers through frequent promotions, and they earn higher wages than unattractive individuals,” according to a 2017 study published in the journal Behavioral and Brain Sciences. This bias can also be found in the justice system.
