Ill, but Still Attractive? The Impact of Mental Illness on Attractiveness Perceptions and Social Judgment

Abstract

In line with the “beautiful-is-good” heuristic, numerous studies show that physically attractive individuals are perceived in a more positive light. However, building on previous findings suggesting that the “beauty–good” relationship is bidirectional, the present research investigates how information on a stigmatized attribute impacts attractiveness perceptions and social judgments. Within a controlled experimental design, we present evidence that the mere label of mental illness (i.e., schizophrenia) decreased the positivity of personality evaluations and perceived attractiveness of a male target that had previously been validated to be highly attractive. Consistent with the “good-is-beautiful” heuristic, a mental illness label led to decreased perceptions of attractiveness, which was mediated by the inference of less positive personality characteristics. This finding lends further support for the bidirectional nature of the “beauty–good” relationship and provides a valuable avenue for future research on the multifaceted ways in which the stigma of mental illness affects social perceptions.

Keywords

• social perceptions
• stigma
• mental illness
• attractiveness
• schizophrenia