(Newswire.net — January 31, 2017) — Some women might not agree with a new study that says men with shaved heads are perceived as ugly, but they will confirm that they look more powerful and dominant than men with hair.
The new study, “Shorn Scalps and Perceptions of Male Dominance,”conducted by Albert E. Mannes at the University of Pennsylvania, finds that those men who chose to shave their heads are seen as less appealing than those with hair. However, the study also finds that less hair on the head means more authority.
The study consisted of three separate experiments. In the first one, volunteers were shown photographs of men with hair and men with shaved heads, then asked to rate their attributes. The volunteers described the men without hair as powerful, dominant, influential, but uglier than guys with hair.
To avoid any confounding variables that might corrupt the data, such as different physiognomy, the second experiment used photos of the exact same men after their hair was digitally removed.
According to study results, volunteers described men without hair as even more dominant, influential and powerful.
The third experiment excluded photographs and asked volunteers to describe how they perceive verbally described men. Every attribute described was the same, except the hair. One case was a man with hair and another a man with a shaved head, and so on.
The results were the same: the group with hair was found less dominant, authoritative, influential and less powerful, but slightly more confident and much more attractive.
One of the explanation the study offered leaned to another study from psychologists at York University in Toronto, that observed the behavior of gazelles in a close proximity of predators. A study showed that healthier and stronger gazelles were jumping repeatedly as to draw attention of the predator and protect the weaker and slower members of the herd.
In a similar way, men who shave their heads might be handicapping themselves by rejecting social norms, and are thus perceived as the dominant members of the herd.
The study also claims that we are under a strong influence of our surrounding. During the 60s and 70s, eras of the Hippie movement and Punk subculture, hair had different symbolisms compared to today. Punk members with shaved heads, skinheads, were not considered as nothing more than rebellions against societal norms.
In the 21st millennium, however, we are witnessing the top sportsmen, military men or action heroes, many of the powerful and dominant men stereotypes choosing to have their head shaved.
These stereotypes should not be confused with men’s natural boldness. However, the scientists advise that men with hair loss problems should finish what “Mother Nature has started,” and shave their heads in order to improve their status.