Effects of Physical Attractiveness & Severity of Physical Illness on Justification Seen for Attempting Suicide

An experiment was conducted to determine the influence of physical attractiveness on reactions of college students to attempted suicide: 90 male students reviewed a case history of a young female attempter. Attached to the case history were either an attractive photo, an unattractive photo or no photo. Case histories were either “hopeful” or “hopeless”. The mean physical attractiveness rating was higher for the attractive female. The ratings were not affected by the medical prognosis. (NBB)