Is it any wonder why lawyers clean up – and sometimes re-make – their defendants before court proceedings?
Appearance matters, but one’s facial features might matter just as much if not more than their presentation.
A recent study conducted by researchers from Columbia University suggests that jurors are more likely to recommend the death penalty if they dislike the defendant’s facial features. This finding underscores the influence of facial features on social judgments and critical decisions, such as sentencing recommendations in legal cases.
The recent study confirms previous studies that have shown that certain facial features, such as downturned lips, a heavy brow, or U-shaped mouth can lead people to perceive individuals as untrustworthy.
These physical features greatly impact various aspects of our lives, from casual social exchanges to pivotal choices like selecting political representatives.
What if we train subjects to equate “untrustworthy” features with trust?
When 1,400 participants were trained to dissociate specific facial features from perceptions of untrustworthiness, it effectively reduced both conscious and unconscious biases related to facial appearance.
However, it was no surprise when a control group that did not receive the training continued to exhibit strong appearance-based biases, highlighting the effectiveness of the intervention.
“These findings bolster prior work that facial stereotypes may have disastrous effects in the real world, but, more importantly, provide a potential inroad toward combating these sorts of biases,” says lead author Jon Freeman, an associate professor of psychology, in a media release.
It is imperative to recognize the influence these biased judgments have and work towards fostering a more inclusive and fair society.
What about race and gender?
The study focused on White male faces to provide a controlled response, but the researchers acknowledge that racial and gender-based biases can also strongly affect judgments of trustworthiness. They plan to conduct a follow-up experiment to test the intervention with faces that are diverse in terms of race and gender.
The study was published in the journal Psychological Science.
