Appearance counts in Hong Kong courts, but only up to a point
Studies point to the better dressed and more attractive getting a better chance in the law and business, but don’t let looks deceive you
In criminal justice, looks count. Witnesses are often judged by their physical appearance, which is why they are advised to look their best when attending court.
Whatever the truth, the smart witness, at least subliminally, is regarded as more likely to be credible than the scruffy. However unsatisfactory this may be, it simply reflects human nature with substance being undervalued.
In England, for example, it was recently reported that restaurateurs seat their nicest looking diners at prominent tables, while the less attractive are placed near the kitchen or toilets, to keep them out of sight.
Celebrity chef Simon Rimmer explained that “good-looking customers attract more people and make more cash so you sit them where they can be seen”.
In America, in a 2014 study, social psychologists Lisa Slattery Walker and Tonya Frevert of the University of North Carolina found that better looking students tended to be regarded as more competent and intelligent, something reflected in the grades they were given. One study of MBA graduates even indicated that there was a 10 to 15 per cent pay differential between the most and least attractive people in a surveyed group.
In a 2013 report, the Council on Contemporary Families, based at the University of Texas, revealed that economists had found that women gained an extra 8 per cent wage bonus for above-average looks, with a 4 per cent wage penalty for below average looks, while for men the bonus was 4 per cent and the penalty 13 per cent.