The Influence of Physical Attractiveness on Teaching Success

A person that looks good always has the upper hand. Based on Langlois et. al (2000), physically attractive people are often treated favorably and are more well-liked by others (p. 644). It is of no surprise that a good-looking individual yields more benefits from everyday exchanges to workplace interactions in comparison to an unattractive individual. From luxury goods to glamorous jobs, it is often emphasized in many cultures and in the media that physical attractiveness can be very beneficial and important in a person’s life. If it can yield positive aspects for the individual, can a person who interacts with them get benefits too? In particular, will students be able to perform academically by being taught by physically attractiveness teachers? Teachers play an essential and important role in a students’ school life that can influence their interest in school and their academic performance. For example, Siegle (2013) explains that students were more willing to put in effort in their work if they see their teachers doing the same (p. 45). With most studies focusing on the characteristics and teaching styles of teachers, this research aims to unveil on another element that can have an influence on students that can further enhance the knowledge of what characteristics students look for in a teacher. As such, this can be beneficial to discover ways to improve the education systems and the elements surrounding it.
The Importance of Physical Attractiveness

The Influence of Physical Attractiveness on People

Dion, Berscheid & Walster stated, “What is beautiful is also seemingly healthy, wealthy and wise” (1972, p. 638). For centuries, humans have associated many positive aspects of life with physical attractiveness. People who are...

... middle of paper ...

...bal messages (e.g. gaze) that is not included in the study that could possibly have an influence on the students.
Thus, this research can be improved through several ways. The study can introduce a properly structured test that can be decoded according to the variables so that the results will be consistent. While videotaped lectures can make the study more controlled, future research can look into considering real-life observations instead of video-recorded observations. Future studies can research the other various elements that is related to physical attractiveness like social attractiveness or body language and whether it will affect the various aspects of students from their grades to their relationships with teachers. Gender and cultural differences can also be observed to see the differences in what different cultures and both genders look for in a teacher.