Year: 2013
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Facial appearance has a strong effect on leadership selection. Ratings of \nperceived leadership ability from facial images have a pronounced influence on \nleadership selection in politics, from low-level municipal elections to the federal \nelections of the most powerful countries in the world. Furthermore, ratings of leadership \nability from facial images of business leaders correlate with leadership performance as \nmeasured by profits earned. \nTwo elements of facial appearance that have reliable effects of perceived \nleadership ability are perceived dominance and attractiveness. These cues have been \npredictive of leadership choices, both experimentally and in the real-world. Chapters 1 \nand 2 review research on face components that affect perceived dominance and \nattractiveness. Chapter 3 discusses how perceived dominance and attractiveness \ninfluence perception of leadership ability. \nTwo characteristics that affect both perceived dominance and attractiveness are \nheight and weight. Chapters 4-9 present empirical studies on two recently-discovered \nfacial parameters: perceived height (how tall someone appears from their face) and \nfacial adiposity (a reliable proxy of body mass index that influences perceived weight). \nChapters 4 and 5 demonstrate that these facial parameters alter facial attractiveness. \nChapters 6, 7, and 8 examine how perceived height and facial adiposity influence \nperceived leadership ability. Chapter 9 examines how perceived height alters leadership \nperception in war and peace contexts. Chapter 10 summarises the empirical research \nreported in the thesis and draws conclusions from the findings. Chapter 10 also lists \nproposals for future research that could further enhance our knowledge of how facial \ncues to perceived body size influence democratic leadership selection.
Author: Daniel E. Re
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1593625938