Tuesday, August 20, 2013

To wear or not to wear my glasses


Ever wondered what people think of you when you’re wearing your glasses. Could wearing glasses change people’s initial impressions of you? Not long ago I seem to remember people (particularly the younger ones) were of the idea that wearing thick, black-rimmed glasses make them look smarter. Well, there may be something in that.


According to research by Hellstrom and Tekle (Person perception through facial photographs: Effects of glasses, hair, and beard on judgments of occupation and personal qualities, European Journal of Social Psychology) people infer not only occupations based on physical traits but also personal characteristics like intelligence and trustworthiness.

The researchers conducted studies in which participants rated the personality characteristics and speculated about the occupation of several male faces with either glasses, hair, or a beard. The researchers found that the combination of having glasses, a beard, and no hair was associated most highly with intellectual professions. The opposite in each category led to the strongest belief that the face belonged to someone in a trade profession or a factory worker.

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