A third study (see the Side Story) in =
Australia=20
found a strong link between a person's=20
height and the amount of money he =
or=20
she makes.=20
|
Dominant Personalities=20
Seen as=20
=
Stars |
The title of the =
study out of=20
California seems almost to say it all: "Why Do =
Dominant=20
Personalities Attain Influence in Face-to-Face =
Groups?"=20
The study by Associate Professor Cameron =
Anderson and=20
doctoral candidate Gavin Kilduff (researchers at =
the=20
University of California, Berkeley's Haas School =
of=20
Business) explains that sometimes the person in =
charge=20
isn't really the most competent for the =
job.
To test what they =
call the=20
"great pretender" theory, the researchers =
recruited 17=20
same-gender teams of four people each. Each team =
had 45=20
minutes to design a mock non-profit =
environmental=20
organization or a for-profit Web site. Also, =
each=20
participant had to rate his or her team members' =
level=20
of influence on the group... and each team =
members'=20
level of competence. In addition, an independent =
group=20
of observers rated the participants'=20
behavior.
The =
results: Team members with the most =
dominant=20
personalities and behavior got the highest =
ratings for=20
general intelligence, dependability, and=20
self-discipline. Team members seen as less =
outspoken got=20
high ratings for the less desirable traits of =
being=20
conventional and uncreative.
Anderson said =
that a=20
dominant personality is "the tendency =
to behave=20
in a self-assured way. It's displaying plain old =
dominance."
Could it be, =
then, that some=20
Star employees actually are not more qualified =
or more=20
productive? Could it be that some Star employees =
just=20
display more dominant qualities than their=20
peers?
"Absolutely," =
affirmed=20
Anderson. "There's been research in the past =
that has=20
shown very high correlations between people with =
dominant personalities and their reputations in =
the=20
workplace as star performers. There's no =
definitive=20
evidence they are smarter or better. Other =
studies have=20
shown very little correlation between the =
personality=20
trait dominance and things like intelligence, =
cognitive=20
abilities, most social abilities, that sort of=20
thing."
Anderson's and =
Kilduff's=20
study recently appeared in the Journal of=20
Personality and Social Psychology. The =
research=20
showed "that dominant individuals achieve =
influence=20
because they tend to appear competent to others, =
even=20
when they actually lack competence. =
Specifically,=20
dominant individuals behave in ways that make =
them seem=20
both expert at the task and socially skilled, =
which=20
leads groups to afford them influence and=20
control."
The published =
study states:=20
"More assertive individuals might sometimes gain =
influence above and beyond what their actual =
competence=20
warrants, and skilled members who are low in =
trait=20
dominance might be unjustifiably ignored. Such a =
dynamic=20
would likely hamper group productivity and =
performance,=20
as it would fail to leverage the group's =
collective=20
competences to the =
fullest."
|
Good Looks Mean Higher=20
=
Income |
The new study =
published in=20
the Journal of Applied Psychology =
concludes=20
that a person's prospects for making more money =
are=20
improved by being good-looking. According to the =
study=20
researchers Timothy Judge, Charlice Hurst and =
Lauren=20
Simon, one reason for this is that people who =
are=20
good-looking are more likely to think more =
highly of=20
themselves. They're more likely to have higher=20
self-esteem. And the result of having higher =
self-esteem=20
is higher earnings.
The researchers =
cited=20
previous studies that indicate infants =
considered=20
good-looking get preferential treatment from the =
start=20
of their lives. As the child progresses, the=20
preferential treatment continues through life, =
even =96=20
and perhaps especially -- from teachers. The =
result is=20
an increased chance for good-looking individuals =
to=20
succeed.
The research at =
the=20
University of Florida involved 191 men and women =
between=20
the ages of 25 and 75. They were interviewed =
three=20
times, six months apart. The interviews involved =
questions about their income, education and =
financial=20
stresses. The participants also completed =
several=20
intelligence and cognitive tests. Also, the=20
participants' pictures were taken. Then several =
members=20
of the research team rated each person's facial=20
attractiveness.
What's the =
meaning of this=20
research for employers?
According to the =
researchers,=20
the study's results indicate employers may=20
subconsciously favor the more attractive =
applicants and=20
employees. Judge, the lead author of the study, =
cautions=20
employers to "make an effort to reduce the =
effects of=20
bias toward attractive people in the workplace." =
For=20
example, use objective measures =96 such as =
behavior style=20
assessments and ability tests =96 to assist in =
decisions=20
on hiring and promoting.
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