How rich? Beautiful, smart and confident

We all strive for a high salary and financial security. Which of the following qualities will help us more - beauty, intelligence or high self-esteem? On the relationship between beauty, intelligence and income

Dr. Miriam Dishon-Berkowitz Galileo Magazine

The analysis of the research findings shows that there is a relationship between the degree of attractiveness of people's faces and their income and education levels

In a study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, Timothy Judge (Judge), Charlize Hurst and Lauren Simon (Simon) examine the question of what has the greatest effect on the level of income - beauty, intelligence or high self-esteem. Their study is the first to examine These issues simultaneously and over time.

The research data was collected from data of a broader longitudinal study on health and life quality Harvard (Study of Health and Life Quality), which began in 1995.

191 participants aged 74-25 took part in the study. The study participants answered several questionnaires. The first questionnaire examined financial difficulties, and the participants answered questions such as "Have you experienced financial difficulties (low income or high debts); "How often have you experienced financial hardship?" and "How much pressure do you feel because of the financial difficulty?"

In the second questionnaire, the participants answered questions examining feelings of self-worth. The participants were asked to rate their level of agreement with statements such as: "When I think about my life story, I am satisfied with how things have turned out so far" or "I feel powerless in my dealings with life's problems."

Also, the participants answered nine different tests that measure cognitive abilities, each a different ability.

In addition, the participants reported their income level in 36 categories that ranged from 0 to a million or more dollars per year, and the number of years of education they had acquired.

Finally, the degree of attractiveness (beauty) of the study participants was measured. As part of the original longitudinal study, the participants were asked to take a photo (photo of the face only). The photography conditions (lighting, distance from the camera, etc.) were the same for all participants. Independent judges evaluated the degree of attractiveness of each photographed relative to his age group and gender.

Beautiful and smart

The analysis of the research findings shows that there is a relationship between the degree of attractiveness of people's faces and their income levels. More attractive people had higher incomes. This finding is consistent with other previously published studies. For example, in a meta-analysis study (a statistical summary of several studies) it was found that 68% of attractive people were above average in the index of "occupational success", an index that also included the amount of income.

Second, a relationship was found between the degree of attractiveness of people's faces and their education levels. More attractive people had higher levels of education. An explanation for this surprising finding may lie in the fact that, as discovered in previous studies, attractive children receive more attention from teachers from a young age and their academic achievements are judged more positively than those of less attractive children, even by adults who know them well. Also, they get more attention and more opportunities for interactions with the educational characters, such as personal assistance and giving positive feedback.

Moreover, studies have found in the past that attractive children do achieve higher scores in objective-standardized tests than less attractive children (the effect of a self-fulfilling prophecy). Finally, another previously reported finding in the research literature is that grades in elementary school predict the likelihood of graduating from high school and acquiring an education.

It follows, therefore, that attractive children receive more academic attention, which improves their objective achievements; Since objective achievements at a young age are related to the likelihood of acquiring a post-secondary education, then a host of these factors result in attractive people eventually acquiring more years of education than less attractive people.

Intelligence trumps beauty

The third finding obtained in the present study is the existence of a relationship between the degree of attractiveness of people's faces and their self-esteem. More attractive people had higher levels of self-esteem. This finding in itself is not puzzling since previous studies have already found that from their first days of life, attractive babies receive more attention than less attractive babies.

The next finding of the study is not surprising either: there is a relationship between mental ability (as measured by the nine cognitive tests) and acquiring an education. This means that smarter people acquire more years of formal education.

Even if the following findings of the study are not surprising in their essence, at least there is some comfort in them: there is a connection between mental ability and the level of income. Smarter people earn more. There is also a connection between the number of years of education and the amount of income: more educated people earn more.

The other finding of the study is the existence of a relationship between mental ability and higher self-esteem. And indeed, it is conceivable that smarter people will have more confidence in their abilities.

Finally, when looking at the research variables as a whole, it was found that the effects of self-esteem on income levels are higher than the effects of the degree of attractiveness on income levels. When self-esteem and attractiveness levels are examined together, it becomes clear that the high self-esteem of attractive people helps them reach high income levels even when levels of mental abilities are taken into account.

However, the encouraging final conclusion of the study is that the effects of mental abilities on income levels are higher than the effects of attractiveness or self-esteem on income levels. Smart people are not inferior to beautiful people. And whoever has these three: intelligence, beauty and self-confidence - he is rich.

Dr. Miriam Dishon-Berkowitz is a psychologist and an organizational and marketing consultant.