The Limits of Beauty: Effects of Physician Attractiveness and Biological Sex on Patient Trust, Satisfaction, and Disclosure

Abstract

This study examines whether high physician attractiveness negatively affects patient perceptions and willingness to disclose and whether the effect of attractiveness interacts with the physician–patient sex combination. With a sample of 135 college-aged participants, results indicated that overly high physician attractiveness led to decreased patient trust, satisfaction, and willingness to disclose; the effect was more evident for highly attractive female physicians. The overly attractive female sex-concordant condition (i.e., female provider and female patient) received the lowest ratings, and the male sex-concordant condition suffered also, although not as badly. These findings suggest that where high physical attractiveness detracts from perceived physician professionalism, female physicians are the most influenced group.

Keywords:

• Attractiveness
• Disclosure
• Satisfaction
• Sex Concordance
• Trust

Notes

Note. Higher scores indicate higher levels of the variable attributes.

^* p < .01.

Note

A disclaimer is necessary here. The prediction about opposite-sex attractiveness made in this study is based in the assumption of the heterosexuality of the patients. Because of the limited diversity in the potential sampling pool (see Method section), we did not provide separate predictions for people with other sexual orientations.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Qi Wang

Qi Wang (PhD, University of Maryland, 2006) is an associate professor in the Department of Communication at Villanova University.

Sheryl Perlmutter Bowen

Sheryl Perlmutter Bowen (PhD, University of Massachusetts, 1986) is an associate professor in the Department of Communication at Villanova University.