title: The role of physical attractiveness in adjustment.
abstract: This article presents a model of how attractiveness influences adjustment and reviews the relevant evidence. The model suggests that attractiveness influences adjustment through a three-stage process. Varying levels of physical attractiveness create differential responses in other people (Stage 1). These differential responses in others as a function of a person's appearance then result in differential treatment of the person (Stage 2), with such differential treatment eventually resulting in differential adjustment (Stage 3). These three stages are considered to occur in a reciprocal manner across the life span. Empirical support is found for each stage from early childhood to adulthood. Attractiveness accounts for 6% to 16% of the variance in measures of subjective adjustment as well as sociometric and behavioral measures of interpersonal adjustment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Washington State University.
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Farina
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001504:Beauty; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D010553:Personality Development; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012938:Social Perception