**Society’s Prejudice: Are Attractive Women Less Intelligent? Science Says Otherwise**
In society, there is a common stereotype that individuals with outstanding physical appearance often lack intelligence, emotional IQ, or social skills. But is this really the case?
**Psychological studies have revealed that beautiful women tend to be more intelligent.**
### **Natural Selection and Achievement-Based Reproduction**
From an evolutionary psychology perspective, selective reproduction and natural selection are key factors.
After conducting extensive research, evolutionary psychology experts at the London School of Economics found that attractive children tend to have higher IQs compared to average-looking children.
Over time, during the course of human reproduction, womenâs physical appearance has become increasingly attractive, while men’s appearance has remained relatively unchanged. Moreover, attractive parents are more likely to give birth to children with similarly attractive features, and these children typically have IQs **12.4 points higher** than their peers.
This discovery sparked widespread debate in the academic community, and more researchers have started to pay attention. It is believed that physical appearance is one of the important indicators of a personâs genetic quality. Physical attractiveness can bring pleasure, so when choosing a partner, men tend to prefer women with standout appearances.
Whether in the animal kingdom or human society, males compete for the right to choose a mate. As a result, successful men are often favored by attractive women. Generally, these successful men not only possess higher intelligence but may also carry physical and psychological traits that can be genetically passed on to the next generation.
It is precisely through the mechanism of natural selection that healthy, attractive, and intelligent individuals are produced. This reinforces the idea that women with appealing appearances often have higher intellectual abilities.
### **Psychological Effects: Beauty Can Mask Mediocrity**
The **”halo effect”** is a common psychological phenomenon that affects interpersonal perception. It influences how we evaluate other traits of a person, leading to biased cognitive judgments.
In reality, when someone has a particularly striking trait, it tends to dominate othersâ perceptionsâlike a haloâcausing other characteristics to be overlooked or undervalued.
Additionally, there is a psychological phenomenon known as the **âstereotype effectâ**. This refers to fixed, generalized views people form about certain groups or things. These views are often applied broadly to entire groups, ignoring individual differences.
For example, many of us assume that:
– Strict people must be teachers,
– Computer science students are introverted and quiet,
– Mathematicians are always highly logical thinkers.
This kind of fixed mindset causes us to overlook individual distinctions and leads to cognitive misunderstandings, ultimately hindering accurate evaluations of others.
According to such psychological mechanisms, for women with outstanding physical appearance, most of the attention from others tends to focus on their looks rather than other qualities like personality or abilities. This creates an overall positive impression. Even when they have shortcomings in other areas, those flaws are often overshadowed by their attractive appearance.
As a result, beautiful women often receive more positive evaluations in society, and intelligence is commonly perceived as one of their many âadvantages.â
### **Social Value: Appearance Comes First**
In modern society, appearance is increasingly valued. People with attractive looks are often favored in interpersonal interactions and thus have more advantageous positions in society.
Studies have shown that employees with good looks often generate more profit for their companies. Therefore, when qualifications are equal, employers tend to choose candidates with more attractive appearances.
In the past, physical shortcomings could only be compensated for by working harder to improve one’s abilities. However, with the rise of makeup and cosmetic surgery, many capable individuals who may lack physical appeal are now turning to these methods to enhance their appearance.
Some argue that it’s not that beautiful women are more intelligent, but rather that intelligent women are more beautiful. The pursuit of beauty is part of human nature, and a positive attitude toward life is a trait of intelligence.
However, beauty does not only come from appearance; it also stems from inner temperament and personal cultivation. What truly attracts others is the charm that radiates from the inside out â and intelligent women are especially good at this.
Therefore, we should not focus solely on outer beauty. Without inner effort and growth, it is difficult to truly develop oneself.