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Scott Jaschik writes at Inside Higher Education that although most faculty members would deny that physical appearance is a legitimate criterion in grading, a study finds that among similarly qualified female students, those who are physically attractive earn better grades than less attractive female students. For male students, there is no significant relationship between attractiveness and grades. The results hold true whether the faculty member is a man or a woman.
The researchers obtained student identification photographs for students at Metropolitan State University of Denver and had the attractiveness rated, on a scale of 1-10, of all the students. Then they examined 168,092 course grades awarded to the students, using factors such as ACT scores to control for student academic ability. For female students, an increase of one standard deviation in attractiveness was associated with a 0.024 increase in grade (on a 4.0 scale).
The results mirror a similar study that found that those who are attractive in high school are more likely to go on to earn a four-year college degree. Hernández-Julián says that he found the results of the Metro State study “troubling” and says that there are two possible explanations: “Is it that professors invest more time and energy into the better-looking students, helping them learn more and earn the higher grades? Or do professors simply reward the appearance with higher grades given identical performance? The likely answer, given our growing understanding of the prevalence of implicit biases, is that professors make small adjustments on both of these margins."
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Thursday January 07 2016, @03:58PM
I am pretty sure that the original title said that attractive females "earn" higher grades. Unless we go down the really nasty route, then those attractive females only "earn" those grades if they are lying on their backs. Taking the higher road, we have to conclude that they are GIVEN those higher grades.
I'm slightly surprised that female teachers and professors also give higher grades to more attractive females. But - I guess I sholdn't be surprised. In my own world, all other things being equal, I prefer to be around males who are more attractive. I don't seek out the homeliest guys to associate with. I don't give preferential treatment to an uncoordinated spaz. I don't choose the dumbest guys to be around. So - yeah - I guess women might prefer the company of attractive women over that of the ugly, or the plain Jane.
Doesnt' make it right, no matter what gender the teachers are. If I were butt ugly, I would want to be rewarded based on my performance, not my appearance.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by arcz on Thursday January 07 2016, @04:29PM
What if this is becuase some attractive females get help from smart males? The study shows discrepancies between the grades of attractive women in terms of ACT vs actual grades. But it doesn't show that any bias exists on the teachers part. During a test the attractive female would be unablw to recruit intelligent males to assist her, so naturally her grades would be somewhat lower. If only 1 in 5 attractive females did this, it might bump up her average score quite a bit.. We need a study that compares neutrally rated assignments to professor graded ones to see if there is a bias at the teacher level. ACT scores are not a valid control.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 07 2016, @06:29PM
I think you nailed it. Hot chicks have free horny nerd tutors in every course.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 07 2016, @04:51PM
No need to rely on your memory; you can just follow the link to the original submission. And yes, the original submission did use "earn".
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 07 2016, @05:57PM
Unless we go down the really nasty route, then those attractive females only "earn" those grades if they are lying on their backs. Taking the higher road, we have to conclude that they are GIVEN those higher grades.
This submission is a Rorschach test for bigots like you and man there are a lot of bigots here among the soybeaners.
How do I know this? Because y'all are going on and on and on about sex and manipulating men but its clear you haven't read the article because they make it explicit that attractiveness is NOT HELPING women. It is un-attractiveness that is hurting them while un-attractiveness is not hurting men.
The attractiveness gap in grades appears to result more from lower grades for less attractive women than from higher grades for the most attractive women. When the researchers divided the women into three groups -- average, more attractive and less attractive -- they found a very small (and not statistically significant) gain for the above average attractiveness women. But for the least attractive third of women, the average course grade was 0.067 grade points below those earned by others, a statistically significant gap.
(Score: 1) by Runaway1956 on Thursday January 07 2016, @06:10PM
There appear to be two presumptions at play here - the most attractive are "given" points, versus, the least attractive "lose" points. Which is right? I don't know, and you probably don't either.
Far easier to believe that attractive women are "given" points. Only a real dirtball is going to take points away from someone who is trying, just because she isn't hot. I suspect that the less attractive women are getting the grades they deserve, and the most attractive women are given extra points. Can I prove that? Hell no - but the other view isn't going to be proven easily.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 07 2016, @06:13PM
> Which is right? I don't know, and you probably don't either.
Yes I do know. Because the article makes it pretty damn clear.
> Far easier to believe that attractive women are "given" points.
For bigots who feel threatened by women it sure is easier to believe that.
(Score: 1) by Runaway1956 on Thursday January 07 2016, @06:28PM
All that you have said her is, you agree with the conclusions drawn by the author. Fine - agree with the author. That doesn't mean that you are right.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 07 2016, @08:44PM
Keep pulling the line, that narrative isn't going to sell itself!
I have to ask though, isn't uncomfortable to have someone else's hand up your ass pulling your strings all the time?
(Score: 2) by bzipitidoo on Thursday January 07 2016, @08:12PM
Lot of factors at play in this study. Is this even causation, rather than just correlation? Attractiveness is not a fixed constant. Perhaps women who try harder to make themselves attractive also try harder in their studies? Maybe feeling unattractive makes a woman feel less confident, and that affects her academic performance? Or that a woman who feels less confident will believe she is less attractive and less talented, and make that self-fulfilling.
Maybe objective tests could sort those questions out. No essay tests, keep it multiple choice. For instance, do more attractive people do better on the SAT or GRE? The answer just might be yes.
(Score: 2) by n1 on Thursday January 07 2016, @06:46PM
I don't remember changing it, so the credit actually goes to martyb for this one as the second editor.