Beauty and Teaching

Abstract Students’ evaluations of teaching (SET) are widely used to provide instructor feedback but can also affect practical decisions on hiring, payment, and tenure. Influences of non-teaching-related extraneous factors on SET, such as physical attractiveness, would thus be problematic. In this chapter, we discuss different potential mechanisms why physical attractiveness might be related to SET, distinguishing between teaching-related and bias-related explanations. Concerning the former, we discuss potential productivity differences due to early childhood support, an attention boost, and personality traits. Concerning bias-related explanations, we focus on the role of stereotypes, the beauty glamor effect, and the beauty penalty. Next, we provide an overview of empirical studies structured along different methodologies. We discuss research relying on online rating platforms, studies using SET data, and experimental studies. The review emphasizes the gendered effects of beauty, discusses implications for using SET in practice, and outlines ideas for future research.