Hello Beautiful? The Effect of Interviewer Physical Attractiveness on Cooperation Rates and Survey Responses

Abstract

This article analyzes the effect of interviewers’ physical attractiveness on cooperation rates in face-to-face interviews and survey responses (self-reports on physical appearance, weight, and health). This article includes four aspects of physical attractiveness (facial attractiveness, voice attractiveness, body mass index [BMI], and height) and reports that (1) interviewers with more attractive faces and lower BMI have higher cooperation rates, (2) differences in interviewers’ personality (Big Five, Rosenberg self-esteem) account for about one third of the total effect of facial attractiveness on cooperation rates, and (3) being interviewed by a more attractive interviewer leads to more positive self-reports on physical appearance, weight, and health (but does not affect self-reports unrelated to physical appearance).