Influences Of Physical Attractiveness And Smoking History On Attributions Of Blame, Empathy, And Personality Assessments Of Lung Cancer Patients

Physically attractive individuals are often seen as more positive, overall, than their unattractive counterparts in such realms as sociability, intelligence, blameworthiness and resilience. This general bias toward beauty was examined in a setting that has received relatively little attention with regard to appearance stigma – medical illness. Specifically, the beauty bias was assessed in regards to an illness (lung cancer) that encompasses lifestyle behaviors (smoking) thought to exacerbate the likelihood of its occurrence. That is, perceptions of those who smoke are often negative and consistent with victim blaming for negative health outcomes. The current study investigated the role of physical attractiveness and smoking status on attributions of blame, empathy, and personality in a hypothetical female lung cancer patient. One hundred and fifteen undergraduate students examined a photograph and patient history of a 30+ year-old woman who either smoked or did not prior to the diagnosis, and was either high or low in attractiveness. Results found that physically attractive targets were rated more positively on personality measures and were afforded more sympathy than unattractive targets. Smokers were rated as being less smart, more to blame, and marginally less likely to recover than non-smokers. No interaction was observed between physical attractiveness and smoking status. This result revealed that smoking held more weight than physical attractiveness in attributions of blame. Implications of findings are discussed.