Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP6276
Authors: Michle Belot; V. Bhaskar; Jeroen van de Ven
Abstract: This paper analyzes behaviour on a TV game show where players' monetary payoffs depend upon an array of factors, including ability in answering questions, perceived cooperativeness and the willingness of other players to choose them. We find a substantial beauty premium and are able to disentangle contributing factors. Attractive players perform no differently from less attractive ones, on every dimension. They also exhibit and engender the same degree of cooperativeness. Nevertheless, attractive players are substantially less likely to be eliminated by their peers. Our results suggest a consumption value basis for the beauty premium, and it appears that this is a form of insidious discrimination.
Keywords: beauty premium; discrimination
JEL Codes: C93; D63; J15; J16
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| elimination decisions (C52) | consumption value of attractiveness (D11) |
| gender (J16) | performance (D29) |
| attractiveness (Z30) | cooperation (P13) |
| beauty premium (D46) | selection decisions (C52) |
| attractiveness (Z30) | earnings (J31) |
| attractiveness (Z30) | elimination likelihood (C52) |