The role of appearance in selection for sex-typed jobs

Madeline Heilman’s (1983) Lack of Fit Model, which postulates why discrimination occurs in the selection of sex-typed jobs, has been applied to the interaction of applicant attractiveness. Yet recent research suggests that other appearance variables, namely sex-typed facial features, may be associated with perceptions of fit. Building upon Heilman’s 1983 model, the current study evaluated how sex-typed facial features relate to applicant selection for sex-typed fields. Undergraduate students were recruited for participation during the spring academic semester (n = 413) and data were analyzed using a 2x2x2 ANOVA. Results indicated that selection is significantly impacted by the three-way interaction of applicant sex, facial feature-type, and sex type of the applying field. Further, masculine-featured females and feminine-featured males were significantly less favored for selection within the feminine sex-typed field. Implications of these findings and the differential evaluation of male and female applicants in a feminine field are discussed.

Author dc:creator

• Redhead, Megan E.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Stockdale, Margaret S.

• Physical Appearance
• Sex-typed Facial Features
• Job Selection
• Applicant Fit

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Identifier URI

http://dx.doi.org/10.7912/C2/1083

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarworks.indianapolis.iu.edu:1805/6052