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An assessment of the mating motive explanation of the beauty premium in market-based settings

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 March 2017

Enrichetta Ravina*
Affiliation:
Department of Finance and Economics, Columbia Business School, New York, NY, 10027. er2463@gsb.columbia.eduhttps://www0.gsb.columbia.edu/faculty/eravina/index.html

Abstract

Labor market and real-life studies were not designed to discriminate between evolutionary and taste-based and stereotype explanations for the beauty premium, have too many confounding effects, and lack crucial information. Smaller-stake and experimental studies provide more compelling evidence in favor of mating motives and suggest the direction of future research for the economists' field studies.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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