Posted Sep 1, 2019, 8:14 PM UTC
Abstract:
This study examined the relations between facial attractiveness, aggression, and popularity in adolescence to determine whether facial attractiveness would buffer against the negative effects of aggression on popularity.
We collected ratings of facial attractiveness from standardized photographs, and teachers provided information on adolescents' social aggression, physical aggression, and popularity for 143 seventh graders (70 girls). Regression analyses indicated that facial attractiveness moderated the relations between both types of aggression and popularity.
Aggression was associated with a reduction in popularity for adolescents low on facial attractiveness. However, popularity did not decrease as a function of aggression for adolescents high on facial attractiveness. Aggressors with high facial attractiveness may experience fewer negative consequences to their social standing, thus contributing to higher overall rates of aggression in school settings.
The researchers also found no significant effects in regards to the gender of participants.
We did not find any significant effects or interactions involving gender. Although boys are more physically aggressive than girls, ... facial attractiveness moderated the relation between physical aggression and popularity for both boys and girls
The researchers explanation for these findings:
One hypothesis for these findings is that adolescents with facial attractiveness may be able to maintain a high social status despite behaving aggressively because such negative behavior is incongruent with the beauty-is-good stereotype .... In attempting to resolve this cognitive inconsistency, adolescents may be more likely to attribute such behavior to environmental variables such as a bad mood rather than to stable dispositions, and in turn, evaluate an aggressor with facial attractiveness more leniently, helping to preserve his or her social status.
The other, simpler explanation they gave is:
Possessing peer-valued characteristics (e.g., attractiveness) may protect the social status of aggressive youth.
Itd be nice if that article wasn't behind a paywall so we could see how they define the word aggression, because aggression can mean things other than being a bully.
The researchers defined it as "physical or social aggression".
Specifically:
Teachers completed a modified version of the CSBS-T (Crick, 1996), which assesses relational aggression, physical aggression, and prosocial behavior
Social Aggression was defined as:
Three social aggression items were similar to the relational aggression items on the original CSBS-T: (a) “ignores people or stops talking to them when he/she is mad at them”, (b) “gossips or spreads rumors about people to make other students not like them”, and (c) “tries to turn others against someone for revenge or exclusion.” An additional item, “gives others dirty looks, rolls his/her eyes, or uses other gestures to hurt others' feelings, embarrass them, or make them feel left out”, was added to the modified version of the CSBS-T, which was not included in the original CSBS-T.
Physical Aggression as:
As is the case for the original CSBS-T (Crick, 1996), four items were used to assess physical aggression: “hits or pushes others”, “initiates or gets into physical fights with peers”, “threatens others”, and “tries to dominate or bully other students.”
Look to the sidebar to discover how to bypass paywalls.
Ok. Im a teen in highschool with social anxiety, have trouble getting intimate with others so I project that by getting aggressive and angry towards mos people. This is fucking true. My popularity is shite because of it, I bet if I were a chad id be seen as an attractive bad boy
Unattractive & aggressive = incel. Attractive & aggressive = manly chad
How is this surprising?
Positive traits can compensate for negative ones.
Did they not control for any other positive traits vs. the negative trait of aggression?
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