Smart women are necessarily viewed as less beautiful, and this is what science says!

Eve Gilles is not the first Miss France with a talent for mathematics. In 1962, Muguet-Fabrice had already been crowned as a mathematics graduate. Moreover, many candidates graduate from French universities every year. However, clichés die hard: various studies have shown thissmart woman It will be seen as Less beautiful. What is the cause of this phenomenon? We'll explain it to you.

Bias strength

Prejudice is a judgment about a person or group of people that is made in advance, even without knowing the person. This prejudgment is made according to certain standards that largely guide this judgment, whether for good or evil. There are a lot of prejudices that you are likely already a victim of. One of the most common fears women have. Pretty woman It will necessarily be Not very smart. Jokes about blondes are one of the most prominent manifestations of this.

Others Biases It is about women and beauty. A study conducted by researchers at Washington State University and the University of Colorado showed this. 200 people were asked to provide their impressions of a group of women based solely on photos of them at work. This was said by the majority of respondents The most attractive women He seemed less sincere than the others. But they were Less trustworthy And they deserve to be expelled more than others.

Dilution effect

Various studies conducted by psychologists and behavioral scientists have proven that the human mind tends to believe that the person or thing that occupies it Two jobs will be of lower quality, Less efficient It is in what it does that a person or thing specializes. This is what psychologists call the dilution effect.

For example, an anti-dandruff shampoo that facilitates hair growth will be seen as existing Less efficient Anti-dandruff shampoo that performs this function only. like List It explains that a cleaning product that also promises to be environmentally friendly will be perceived by the consumer as a lower quality cleaning product.

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They are a zero-sum game

Another psychological phenomenon that tends to underestimate the value of people with multiple talents. This is what scientists call a heuristic zero-sum game. This means that the amount of talent present in a person is inherently fixed. Which suggests Increase quality On a product dimension or the person is automatically compensated by a Decrease in quality On other dimensions of the product or person.

It is these two cumulative phenomena that mean that a candidate for a beauty contest, regardless of her studies or intellectual abilities, will be… tangible By the public Like less beautiful From another filter. Fortunately for women in particular and society in general, prejudices are declining, and Eve Gilles, despite her talent in mathematics, was able to win the Miss France title this year.