A series of experiments conducted by scientists in the U.S. have showed that men and women overwhelmingly associate physical strength with higher status and leadership qualities.
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In one experiment, groups of men and women — about 50-50 — were shown photographs of the different men on a computer screen. Before the participants saw the photos, they were told that they would be rating people who had been recently hired by a new consulting firm. The participants were asked questions such as, “Do you think this person would be a good leader?” and “How effective is this person in dealing with others in a group?”
“The physically strong men in the pictures were given higher status because they are perceived as leaders,” Anderson noted.
In another experiment, to further test their results, the researchers used Photoshop to switch the bodies of the strong and weak subjects. For example, a weak man’s head was depicted on a strong man’s body, and vice versa.
The result showed that participants rated the weak men with stronger, superimposed bodies higher in status and leadership qualities. In the final experiment, the participants’ responses indicated that men of taller stature were perceived to have more strength.
This phenomenon apparently applies to men only. There was little effect on participants’ perception of leadership skills when they were shown physically strong vs. weak women, the researchers said.
via India Express
