ABSTRACT
Undoubtedly, looks are an important element in interpersonal behavior. Looks may immediately elicit a snap judgment of a person’s characteristics, and these first impressions may significantly shape further interactions. Even when more information is available it may not completely override the expectations created by appearances. Particularly when impressions are formed via the media, as is almost always the case for politicians, looks may be of crucial importance. Often perceivers have not much more information on political candidates or politicians than photos and short film clips (e.g., Bucy & Grabe, 2007). Although ideally voters should inform themselves about the political opinions of politicians through, for example, debates, newspaper articles, and past political activities, many voters rely on more simple cues, such as looks, as the first part of the present chapter will review. Even if the thought that looks decide elections may be unsettling, relying on looks in social judgment is not entirely irrational. Growing evidence suggests that inferences based on looks only are not necessarily incorrect. We will turn to that aspect in the second part and discuss evidence that even political ideology can be detected from looks. As we will outline, one reason for accurate perception of political attitudes is that political attitudes are quite pervasive in different aspects of life and therefore interpersonal encounters may shape the ability to distinguish among different ideologies.
