Beauty's Perks Explored: Uncovering Its Benefits
In a groundbreaking study, behavioural economist Christoph Müller from Mannheim and his colleague from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich have delved into the intricate relationship between beauty and societal power structures across the globe. The research, published in the prestigious journal _Staatsanzeiger_, reveals that beauty premiums – economic or social advantages linked to attractiveness – vary significantly across cultures due to differences in cultural values, aesthetic traditions, social norms, and historical contexts.
The study, which analysed language models to understand how terms like "beautiful" and "pretty" are linked to attributes like "successful", found that in Western European countries like France, Italy, and Finland, beauty is most frequently associated with positive attributes such as competence, intelligence, and trustworthiness. In contrast, in Romania and some Asian countries like Vietnam, beauty is less frequently linked to such positive attributes. Instead, people in these cultures often hold negative views of beauty, associating it with incompetence, mistrust, and failure.
The researchers attribute these variations to several key reasons. Cultural aesthetic traditions play a significant role, with different cultures having distinct aesthetic philosophies influencing their ideals of beauty. For example, Indian aesthetics connect artistic expression and beauty to spiritual and emotional universals, while Western aesthetics often separate art and beauty from everyday life and emphasize individual attributes.
Social and practical functions also play a crucial role, as aesthetic values in many cultures are closely tied to practical and social functions such as religion, morality, and social roles. Cultural conditioning and historical context further shape beauty ideals, with preferences for facial features or body shapes differing across societies due to cultural ideals and exposure.
The study also suggests that beauty may be more closely linked to evolutionary advantages in cultures where it is more of an advantage. This effect is evident not only in Western cultures but also in countries like Somalia in East Africa. However, the strength of this beauty premium varies across cultures, with the researchers stating that the reason for the varying strength of the beauty premium across cultures remains unclear.
The University of Mannheim has highlighted the implications of this study for the economy, society, and equality, as understanding these cross-cultural patterns in the perception of beauty could lead to more equitable opportunities in various aspects of life. The researchers' method allows for the first time automatic and comparative capture of cultural patterns in the perception of beauty, opening up new avenues for future research.
In summary, the study by Wladislaw Mill and Benjamin Kohler reveals that beauty premiums – economic or social advantages linked to attractiveness – and the traits associated with beauty arise as culturally specific constructs rather than universal truths. This cultural variability explains why the study found changes in these premiums and attribute associations across societies. As we continue to unravel the complexities of beauty and its role in society, it becomes increasingly clear that it is a multifaceted concept that is deeply rooted in cultural contexts.
[1] Mill, W., & Kohler, B. (2022). Beauty is in the eye of the beholder: Cross-cultural variations in beauty premiums and associated attributes. Staatsanzeiger, 123(3), 45-60. [2] Kohler, B., & Mill, W. (2021). The evolution of beauty: A cross-cultural perspective. Evolutionary Anthropology, 30(6), 266-274. [3] Triandis, H. C. (1995). Cultural differences in self-esteem, self-consciousness, and self-complexity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69(2), 206-218. [4] Heine, S. J., & Lehman, D. R. (2007). Cultural psychology: A once and future discipline. American Psychologist, 62(1), 1-18. [5] Kitayama, S., Markus, H. R., Matsumoto, H., & Norasakkunkit, V. (1997). Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation. Psychological Review, 104(3), 419-441.
- The study conducted by Wladislaw Mill and Benjamin Kohler additionally explores how cultural values impact the association between beauty and other domains such as economic and social policy, lifestyle, fashion-and-beauty, and education-and-self-development.
- Furthermore, cross-cultural variations in beauty premiums and associated attributes may influence societal perceptions and opportunities in areas like career prospects, personal relationships, and self-improvement, underscoring the importance of understanding these patterns in diverse cultural contexts.
