What is Good and Expected is Beautiful: The Effects of the Reverse Halo Effect and Expectancy on Perceived Attractiveness

The present study examined the influence of specific personality information on perceived\ud attractiveness, affiliation, and perceived similarity. The trait dimensions adjustment, social\ud concern, dominance, social competence, intellectual competence, and conscientiousness were\ud examined. Additionally, the present study tested Burgoon's model of expectancy violations\ud concerning perceptual judgments of attractiveness. Subjects were presented with personality\ud vignettes, followed by pictures of varying attractiveness (i.e., attractive, neutral, unattractive).\ud Support for the reverse halo effect was found; however, Burgoon's model was not supported.\ud Moreover, personality information was found to interact uniquely with attractiveness level; traits\ud which affected perceptual judgments for attractiveness, affiliation, and similarity varied for each\ud attractiveness level. The results as set indicate that perceptions of attractiveness, similarity,\ud affiliation are dependent upon the interaction of target attractiveness and personality