Photo by V. Miller
Feb. 6, 2008
Blonde or Brunette?
Blonde Today, Brunette Tomorrow: Influence of Hair Color on the Perceived Intelligence of Women
Catherine Haber, 14, Santa Monica, Calif.
Finalist, Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge, 2007
Project background: When Catherine heard her friends say, "You're such a blonde," she began to ponder just how deeply the stereotype had pervaded society. She hypothesized that women with any type of blond hair would be seen as less intelligent but more attractive than brunettes.
Tactics and results: Using a digital program, Catherine depicted two teenage girls and two middle-aged women with four hair colors each—silver blond, blond, light brown, and dark brown. She attached the 16 photos to surveys posted on the Internet, taking care not to place the same person with different hair colors in the same survey. On the basis of the photos, respondents were asked to rate the women's attractiveness, intelligence, friendliness, confidence, and sociability.
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| Photo by V. Miller |
Catherine confirmed her hypothesis: All four women received the lowest intelligence scores and the highest attractiveness scores when they were depicted with blond hair.
To get science project ideas and expert advice from Science Buddies, go to www.sciencebuddies.org/mentoring/areas_of_science.shmtl.
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