Physical Attractiveness and Domestic Violence

• NCJ Number: 127587
• Author(s): D M Burke; M A Ames; R Etherington; J Pietsch
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 23 pages
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Paper presented at the meeting of the American Society of Criminology, Reno, NV, 1989

Annotation

A factorial research design was used in a simulation study to assess the effects of physical attractiveness of the victim and the defendant on jurors' perceptions of responsibility in a domestic violence case.

Abstract

The participants were 480 midwestern university students. They read and completed a 4-page survey that presented pictures of a hypothetical husband and wife together with a scenario of a domestic violence situation; pictures of the defendant and the victim were varied in their physical attractiveness. They also answered questions regarding their own demographic characteristics and their likelihood of finding the husband guilty. Results showed that physical attractiveness did not significantly affect the decisionmaking process. In addition, male and female subjects reached similar decisions regarding the defendant's guilt. However, males tended to be more lenient regarding sentencing the husband. Findings contrast with rape research showing that physical attractiveness affects jury decisionmaking. Discussion of research limitations, tables, and 43 references (Author abstract modified)