Wearing Or Not Wearing Glasses Affects The Perception Of Attractiveness And Intelligence Research Paper Examples

Abstract and Introduction

The practice of wearing eyeglasses both among men and women are becoming more and more common these days. As a result, the demand for different types of eyeglasses, both for medical and accessory purposes has been on an increase. Factors that may have contributed to the existence of this particular trend in demand for eyeglasses include but may not be limited to the changing perception of the people about people who wear eyeglasses, the significant changes in the demographics of people diagnosed with certain conditions that affect an individual’s vision thereby requiring that person to wear a visual assistive device (i.e. a pair of eyeglasses); and the changes in fashion trends. The objective of this paper is to discuss, via an experimental type of research, the question whether the wearing of glasses affects people’s perception of attractiveness and intelligence of a person (i.e. the one wearing the pair of glasses).

Review of Literatures

In an academic study published in the International Journal of Neuroscience, the authors used a five point likert scale questionnaire to quantitatively describe the perception of people on the attractiveness of natural faces compared to computer constructed perfectly symmetrical faces and compare them . The idea that the authors of that study used is basically the same with what the present research is going to use, the only difference is that instead of a five point likert scale, a seven point likert scale will be used and the independent variable used will be different.
In another academic journal published in the European Journal of Social Psychology in 1994, the authors discussed the effects of glasses, hair, and beard on people’s judgments on occupation and personal qualities using facial photographs as the catalyst. This study has a lot of similarities with the present study in that it focuses on perception on qualities although in the present research’s case, we will focus on perception on intelligence and attractiveness and not on occupation and personal qualities in general. Nonetheless, the authors of that paper concluded that glasses, hair, and beard, and other facial factors indeed have a significant effect on people’s perception and judgments through facial photographs on occupation and personal qualities. It is in researches like these where evidence of the current hypothesis (i.e. wearing a pair of eyeglasses affects a person’s perception on attractiveness and intelligence) come from .
This paper has been written based on the assumption that the practice of wearing a pair of eyeglasses significantly affects people’s perception on attractiveness and intelligence; and that therefore, an individual wearing a pair of eyeglasses will be perceived as more intelligent than those who are not wearing glasses. It is important to remember that there is a significant difference between the terms real intelligence and perceived level of intelligence. Real intelligence is simply the type of intelligence that can be measured using objective and professionally made tests such as the existing intelligence quotient tests being used by clinicians, among others; perceived level of intelligence, on the other hand, pertains to the type of intelligence that a person assumes another person to have. The type of intelligence being described and pertained to in this research is the perceived level of intelligence. The research question has something to do with the effects of wearing glasses on people’s perception on intelligence and attractiveness.
So far, the evidences from literatures that have been gathered were more than ten years old, a factor which gives us the risk of using an outdated (if at all) set of information. In a study published in the Swiss Journal of Psychology in 2011, the authors revisited the different stereotypes that have been set for glasses, particularly the act of wearing it and how it affects perception, recognition, and impression of faces and physical qualities. According to the authors, in face perception, besides physiognomic changes, accessories like eyeglasses can significantly influence facial appearance and thus perception about the person, thereby establishing the stereotype on glasses specifically those who wear glasses are perceived to be more intelligent, albeit less attractive . In their study, the authors featured four series of experiments using full rim and rimless glasses, which basically differ based on the amount of face they cover, and then checking their effects on other people’s perception on the attractiveness and intelligence of the person wearing either or both of the glasses. The results of their study showed that eyeglasses generally directed observers’ gaze to the eye regions; and also confirmed the established stereotype when it comes to people who wear glasses and its effect on attractiveness (decrease in). Tomic (2007) concurred upon these findings when he published his study about the general effect of wearing glasses upon judgments of intelligence, personality traits and physical attractiveness . In another journal article published in the Journal of the Chinese Institute of Industrial Engineers in 2012, the authors investigated the overall impact of wearing glasses on a person’s attractiveness or at least the perception of attractiveness. This was a descriptive study wherein the participants were asked to rate the faces with and without glasses using a similar 7-point likert scale on the included perceptual measure. The results of the authors’ analysis showed that wearing the glasses especially those that come with frames does generally improve facial symmetry; that facial attractiveness is not enhanced accordingly and may even be considered to be negatively affected by the practice of wearing a pair of eyeglasses. Another important finding that the authors made is that the rims may have something to do with the level of change in the viewers’ perception on the attractiveness (and in some cases intelligence) of the person wearing the glasses noting that glasses with smaller frames and rims have a less negative impact on facial attractiveness than those that have larger rims .

Conclusions

In conclusion, there is strong evidence, especially in previously published literatures that there is a significant correlation between the practice of having certain facial features such as a pair of eyeglasses, beards, hair, and other accessories on people’s perception on attractiveness, intelligence, or even other personal qualities. Therefore, using evidences gathered from literature, the current research hypothesis that this study is trying to prove is heavily grounded and supported.

References

Cheng, L., Chao, Y., Po, L., Kuo, H., Ying, C., & Wen, C. (2012). Are human faces more attractive with glasses? Journal of the Chinese Institute of Industrial Engineers.
Hellstrom, A., & Tekle, J. (1994). Person Perception through facial photographs: effects of glasses, hair and beard on judgments of occupation and personal qualities. European Journal of Social Psychology, 693-705.
Leder, H., Forster, M., & Gerger, G. (2011). The Glasses Stereotype Revisited: Effects of Eyeglasses on Perception, Recognition, and Impression of Faces. Swiss Journal of Psychology, 211-222.
Tomic, P. (2007). The effects of wearing glasses upon judgments of intelligence, personality traits, and physical attractiveness.
Zaidel, D., & Deblieck, C. (2007). Attractiveness of Natural Faces Compared to Computer Constructed Perfectly Symmetrical Faces. International Journal of Neuroscience, 117, 423-431.