Facial attractiveness does not modify the perceived trustworthiness of ethnic minority men.

ABSTRACT: Immigrants, and particularly immigrant men, are often stereotyped as untrustworthy in European societies. However, little research has examined how stereotypes of characteristics other than ethnicity might impact natives' perceptions of the trustworthiness of immigrants. Here, I test whether facial attractiveness, a trait associated with a variety of positive stereotypes, might modify ethnic biases in trustworthiness perceptions. I vary facial attractiveness and ethnicity using photo and name stimuli presented in a hypothetical "lost wallet" vignette, in which respondents assess the likelihood of the pictured man returning their lost wallet. Results from an German online panel survey indicate that while attractiveness has a modest positive effect on perceived trustworthiness, the value of

SUBMITTER: Hellyer J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11544132 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature