In their first experiment, the researchers recruited 60 actual investors from the business world as volunteers. They asked each to watch videos of people making pitches for a project asking for backing (from actual entrepreneurial contests held across the country). Afterwards the investors were asked to rate how persuasive they felt the people doing the pitch were, and also how attractive they found them. The research team reports that they found that the investors were more likely to choose the male pitchers over those who were female, regardless of whether the content of the pitch was nearly identical. They also found that the more attractive the person giving the pitch, the more persuasive they were found to be—but only for those that were male. The investors didn't seem to care how good-looking the women were, they rated them as less persuasive than their male counterparts regardless.
Huh? They had someone rate a pitch, then ask if the pitcher was attractive? But then they are asking then same thing - you cannot tease the two apart.
THere seems to be a heap of different issues tied up together here, and this does not seem to be an elegant way of seperating out biases from anyone. I am happy to be wrong but I am not getting good vibes...
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From phys.org's summary:
In their first experiment, the researchers recruited 60 actual investors from the business world as volunteers. They asked each to watch videos of people making pitches for a project asking for backing (from actual entrepreneurial contests held across the country). Afterwards the investors were asked to rate how persuasive they felt the people doing the pitch were, and also how attractive they found them. The research team reports that they found that the investors were more likely to choose the male pitchers over those who were female, regardless of whether the content of the pitch was nearly identical. They also found that the more attractive the person giving the pitch, the more persuasive they were found to be—but only for those that were male. The investors didn't seem to care how good-looking the women were, they rated them as less persuasive than their male counterparts regardless.
http://phys.org/news/2014-03-investors-good-looking-male-ent...
Huh? They had someone rate a pitch, then ask if the pitcher was attractive? But then they are asking then same thing - you cannot tease the two apart.
THere seems to be a heap of different issues tied up together here, and this does not seem to be an elegant way of seperating out biases from anyone. I am happy to be wrong but I am not getting good vibes...