Abstract:

Are beautiful people better negotiators? I present evidence from a simple bargaining game where players can listen to pre-recorded “speeches” and see the pictures of other players. I find that physically attractive players receive a greater share of the surplus if the partner can both listen to their speech and view their picture. This effect is strongest when the listening partner is female. These results suggest new directions for experimental and empirical research on the role of non-resume characteristics on labor market outcomes and give new perspectives to practitioners in negotiations involving extreme power imbalance.

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