Effects of Perceived Attractiveness and Feminist Orientation on Helping Behavior

Abstract

Abstract In a field experiment (N = 80), helping behavior was examined as a function of a female confederate's level of physical attractiveness, perceived feminist orientation, and the legitimacy of her request for assistance. Results indicated that persons helped more when a request was legitimate regardless of the confederate's appearance or political orientation. In a normatively ambiguous situation, however, persons helped an attractive feminist significantly less than a traditional-looking woman. When the feminist was unattractive, her political orientation did not influence rates of helping. These findings were interpreted in terms of the greater interpersonal reactions, both positive and negative, engendered by attractive American women.