Using deepfaked application videos, this study analyses the gendered effects of physical attractiveness on hypothetical hiring chances. Based on status construction theory, we argue that whether gendered expectations through physical attractiveness translate into better hiring chances is context-dependent. To test this theoretical claim, we conducted a 2x2x2 factorial survey experiment among 493 respondents with personnel responsibilities. Using deep-learning techniques, we swap the faces of male and female candidates in application videos, thus varying gender and physical attractiveness. Additionally, we manipulate whether the occupational context is perceived as male- or female-typed. Results show that attractive applicants score higher in competence ratings and are more likely to be invited for a job interview. However, only men consistently profit from their looks, while women benefit from a beauty premium in the female-typed, but not in the male-typed job. These results support the idea that attractiveness works as a status characteristic and triggers gendered expectations.

About the Speaker:

Tobias Wolbring holds the Chair of Empirical Economic Sociology at FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, where he leads cutting-edge research at the crossroads of sociology, economics, and psychology. Prior to this role, he was an assistant professor of sociology, with a specialization in longitudinal data analysis at the University of Mannheim, a postdoc at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich and a research assistant at the University of Munich, where he earned his PhD in 2013. Using both experimental and longitudinal methods, Wolbring's recent work delves into social inequalities, labor markets, and subjective well-being, earning him recognition in top-tier journals like Social Forces, European Sociological Review, and Sociological Methods & Research. His accolades include the Best Dissertation Award from the German Sociological Association and the Robert K. Merton Prize from the International Network of Analytical Sociology. He has also served as a Visiting Professor at Utrecht University and is a Distinguished Social Sciences Scholar at HKU in September 2024.

Departmental Seminar - Beauty Pays, But Not Under All Circumstances: Evidence From An Experiment Using Deepfakes

Date: 5 September, 2024

Time: 11:00AM – 12:00PM

Venue: CJT-9.29

Speaker: Prof. Tobias Wolbring

Registration: https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_hdetail.aspx?ueid=96134