Author(s)

Weining Liu

Graduate Institute of Human Resource and Knowledge Management, National Kaohsiung Normal University, Kaohsiung.

People often wonder why physically attractive individuals seem to enjoy numerous benefits. In the contemporary landscape, AI-generated characters are gaining popularity, often selected for their physical attractiveness. This study adopts a persuasion-attitude perspective, utilizing the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), to uncover the reasons behind the persuasive impact of physical attractiveness and the subsequent favorable decisions made by individuals. Employing structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques, the study conducted a multi-group analysis with a sample of 134 recruiters in the food and beverage industry. The key findings reveal that while recruiters tend to prefer hiring physically attractive applicants due to affective information processing, the moderator role of recruiters’ need for cognition can significantly mitigate this stereotype premium. These findings have important implications for future research and practice. Understanding the interplay between physical attractiveness, cognitive processing, and decision-making process can contribute to the development of strategies to promote fair and objective decision-making processes.

Physical Attractiveness, Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), Recruiter, Attitude, Decision-Making Process, Need for Cognition

Liu, W. (2024) Exploring the Persuasive Influence of Physical Attractiveness Premium in the Recruiting Process: A Study Using the Elaboration Likelihood Model. Journal of Service Science and Management, 17, 89-106. doi: 10.4236/jssm.2024.171004.