PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS most people claim that looks aren't the best measure of desirability or character but they typically prefer others whom they find attractive. for example, women who are perceived as attractive have more dates, receive higher grades in college, persuade males with greater ease and receive shorter court sentences. both men and women whom others view as attractive are rated as being more sensitive, kind, strong, sociable and interesting than their less attractive brothers and sisters. this attractiveness bias has been referred to as lookism and can lead to the same kinds of prejudice as racism and sexism. for instance, research shows that women gain an 8% wage bonus for above-average looks and they pay a 4% wage penality for below-average appearance for men the attractiveness wage bonus is only 4%, however, the penalty for below-average looks is full 13%. occasionally physical attractiveness has a negative effect. interviewers may turn down good looking candidates because they are perceived as threats while attractiveness generally gets rewarded glamorous beauty can be intimidating.