Survey

Do women judge a book by its cover? You bet they do!

We all remember social cliques in high school; but do people continue to categorize others once they’re in the real world? According to an E-Poll, commissioned by WE tv, the answer is yes. The poll, which surveyed 894 women ages 18-49, found an overwhelming 91% of women usually judge someone based on their appearance before they get to know them and it only takes a couple of minutes for more than half of women to form an opinion about a complete stranger. According to Dr. Jenn Berman, WE tv’s expert and licensed psychotherapist:

"The survey speaks to the fascinating unconscious process of making snap judgments. Our minds are constantly accessing those around us to figure out who is safe, who we want to be close to, and who we should keep our distance from."

The poll* indicates that 91% of women usually judge someone based on their appearance before they even get to know them. After spending a couple of minutes with them, 64% of women will form an opinion. Within that time frame, 77% of women say their opinion is based on what someone says. When it comes to friends, 82% say a sense of humor is most important. And the old adage holds true, blondes still have more fun – 60% of women believe blondes are more popular. However, when it comes to a popularity contest between Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston, the brunette wins out – 49% vs. 36%
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Dr. Jenn Berman comments on the psychology of these findings:

WHY DO AN OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF WOMEN JUDGE SOMEONE BASED ON APPEARANCE?
“We judge appearance because it provides us with our first clues about a person when we first meet. The way a person looks and puts themselves together send us messages about them. Some of the assumptions we make are accurate but others are based on assumptions and projections and lead us astray.”

WHY DOES IT TAKE ONLY A COUPLE OF MINUTES FOR SOMEONE TO FORM AN OPINION ABOUT THAT PERSON?
“Automatic judgments and snap decisions are strong because the unconscious mind can quickly sift through irrelevant input and hone in on the most crucial bits of information. People often dismiss their gut reactions because they are unable to articulate this unconscious process. Usually, it is when we don't listen to our "gut" and try to reason with our instinct that we get into trouble.”

WHY ARE BLONDES STILL CONSIDERED MORE POPULAR?
“According to evolutionary psychology we have strong associations between blonde hair, youth and vitality. A study that came out last year found that women who colored their hair blonde experienced increases in feelings of attractiveness and confidence. Feeling good about yourself tends to make people more social which can contribute to a perception of popularity. Also, our culture also has a lot of mythology around blonde hair (i.e. "blondes have more fun").”

*E-Poll® and WE tv survey of 894 W18-49