Hitchhiking women's hair color

Percept Mot Skills. 2009 Dec;109(3):941-8. doi: 10.2466/pms.109.3.941-948.

Abstract

To test the effect of women's hair color on the frequency of offering help, male (n = 1,508) and female (n = 892) French motorists were tested in a hitchhiking situation. Five 20- to 22- yr.-old female confederates wore a wig with blonde, brown, or black hair. Each confederate was instructed to stand by the side of a road frequented by hitchhikers and hold out her thumb to catch a ride. Blonde hair, compared with brown hair or black hair, was associated with a small but significantly larger number of male drivers who stopped to offer a ride (18 vs 14%). No difference was found for those with brown and black hair (14 and 13%, respectively). No effect of hair color was found for female drivers who stopped. The greater attractiveness associated with blonde hair for women appears to explain these data.

MeSH terms

  • Automobile Driving / psychology
  • Beauty*
  • Choice Behavior*
  • Female
  • Gender Identity
  • Hair Color*
  • Helping Behavior*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Marriage*
  • Nonverbal Communication
  • Social Environment*
  • Young Adult