Paul Glick
Psychology of Women Quarterly, December 2005
A research study published by Psychology of Women Quarterly magazine finds negative perceptions of provocatively-dressed women in managerial positions. Recent psychological research indicates that attractive people are more likely to land better jobs, so the study set out to determine if provocative dress was included the perception of "attractiveness." Researchers found their subjects reacted negatively to images of a sexily dressed woman when told she held a position with power.
Researchers at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin made several versions of a video of the same woman playing either a receptionist or a manager and dressed conservatively or "sexily." Conservative dress was defined as wearing flat shoes, slacks, and a turtleneck. The woman's "sexy" wardrobe consisted of a provocatively low-cut blouse, tight skirt, and high heels. The script of the video remained constant, only the dress of the woman changed. Male and female test subjects watched one of the versions and were asked to rate the competence of the woman regarding her position in her workplace. Researchers were asked to rate the competence of the woman. When she played a receptionist, the sexy dress had no impact on her competence rating, but when she was dressed as a sexy manager, her competence and intelligence ratings dropped.
Researchers led by Paul Glick concluded in the December issue of the Psychology of Women Quarterly, "A female manager whose appearance emphasized her sexiness elicited less positive emotions, more negative emotions, and perceptions of less competence on a subjective rating scale and less intelligence on an objective rating scale."