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Appearance Indicates Intelligence

mensimageconsultant

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Intelligence is inferred from appearance. That is a fact. There is evidence that judgments of intelligence are shared ("nerdy-looking") and even that they contain some accuracy. So far, probably no one is surprised.

But there might not be any research into how clothing affects perceived intelligence.

Intelligent people don't necessary dress well. (Again, "nerdy-looking.") Would you agree that unintelligent people seldom dress well and that, by dressing well in a poorly dressed society, a person shows he might be intelligent?
 

Aureus

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No, as you've already indicated dressing in a certain manner 'nerdy' may cause people to think you are intelligent. I doubt dressing 'well' will make people automatically think you are more intelligent.
 

Alexander Kabbaz

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Originally Posted by mensimageconsultant
Intelligence is inferred from appearance. That is a fact. There is evidence that judgments of intelligence are shared ("nerdy-looking") and even that they contain some accuracy. So far, probably no one is surprised.

But there might not be any research into how clothing affects perceived intelligence.

Intelligent people don't necessary dress well. (Again, "nerdy-looking.") Would you agree that unintelligent people seldom dress well and that, by dressing well in a poorly dressed society, a person shows he might be intelligent?

Oh, Please! You're comparing apples and dolphins. There is no qualitative or quantifiable relationship between the two.
 

Margaret

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What kind of intelligence? Clothing intelligence?
 

dah328

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I think you mean that people attribute more intelligence to better dressed subjects assuming all other things equal. Unfortunately, people also attribute more intelligence to better looking subjects despite the lack of any connection between looks and intelligence. I'd say that same lack of connection applies to clothing. If you want empirical confirmation of that, take a walk across either of the CalTech or MIT campuses.

Now a clever person might be willing to exploit the fact that people attribute more intelligence to better dressed people, but that's a separate topic.
 

Tomasso

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Originally Posted by Margaret
What kind of intelligence? Clothing intelligence?

Exactly. One can be gifted in things sartorial just as well as music, sports, art, etc........
 

horton

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I wouldn't necessarily say it equates directly with intelligence.

I expect smarter people to dress better (though not all smart people dress well).

I do not expect knuckleheads to dress well (though some might).
 

minimal

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I don't know if smarter people dress better, but they usually dress more appropriately. And there is a large distance between those two ideas.
 

mensimageconsultant

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Originally Posted by minimal
I don't know if smarter people dress better, but they usually dress more appropriately. And there is a large distance between those two ideas.

That's a good distinction.

I have some trouble with your proposition. Part of the problem, of course, lies in the vagueness of the term "intelligence". But even leaving that aside, I'd say I know lots of people who aren't very intelligent and dress quite well (and the converse as well, obviously).
Based on that and other objections and counter-evidence, a better question would have replaced "unintelligent" with "in the lower end of normal intelligence."

Also, there is a slight correlation of physical attractiveness with intelligence among people who are not "mentally challenged." However, some people equate higher bodily attractiveness with lower intelligence, and there is evidence that that bias operates in job interviews.

Maybe the perception of intelligence is more related to formality (within a situationally appropriate range, of course) than "dressing well." No offense to members, but typically a stranger won't judge someone clothed in "streetwear" as highly intelligent.
 

Soph

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Intelligence?

I would say it demonstrates you have some good standard of living, that you display good taste and upbringing, arn't dangerous, have a solid career or $, and most importantly of a higher social latter or status, in America some people will think you are either from Europe or gay, but that is very pleb's thinking. I think it indirectly means you are intelligent or at the very least well educated as it correlates to higher social status. Wearing smart looking glasses does make you appear more intelligent.

Intelligence is such a broad term, as there are many levels of intelligence. Marketing also has alot to do with what people think of you. Unless you take intelligence exams, which of course, only measure certain types of intelligence, it is hard to determine who is truly intelligent for the more discerning who arn't fooled by smoke and mirrors.

I've also seen many men who are not all that bright do much better with the ladies than many a genius. So who is truly intelligent?
 

old dover trad

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Some said EINSTEIN dressed like a bum and some say he dressed like a Trad but I don't think we should judge EINSTEIN by how he dressed.
 

odoreater

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Actually, I always thought the opposite. I always thought that people who are well-dressed or really good looking are thought to be unintelligent (i.e., putting a lot of time and effort into their appearance to cover up lack of intelligence). I also thought that people who are muscular are perceived to be less intelligent as well (i.e., "meatheads").

Of course, I am not saying that any of this is true - that's just patently ridiculous - all I am saying is that this is what I thought people perceive.
 

old dover trad

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Originally Posted by lawyerdad
Agreed. What did he drive?

I don't know but in that movie with lovely MEG RYAN he looked to enjoy riding on the side of that motorcycle. Do you know what he drove?
 

visionology

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I think the same applies if you wear huge baggy jeans hanging off your ass, super large shirts, and hats sideways with the tags still on them. People automatically assume you are either ghetto or unintelligent in the form of being a dropout.

I know when I was at work though, you could tell more of corporate standing than intelligence from dress. For example, most of the VPs wore suits, carried briefcases, etc while the engineers while still smart dressed in poorly fitting khakis, white sneakers with white socks, and hideous polo shirts.
 

Soph

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Originally Posted by odoreater
Actually, I always thought the opposite. I always thought that people who are well-dressed or really good looking are thought to be unintelligent (i.e., putting a lot of time and effort into their appearance to cover up lack of intelligence). I also thought that people who are muscular are perceived to be less intelligent as well (i.e., "meatheads").

Of course, I am not saying that any of this is true - that's just patently ridiculous - all I am saying is that this is what I thought people perceive.


-- Somewhat of an old way of thinking and a sign of extreme simplicity of thought on who still thinks this way. Stereotypes are considered to be a group concept, held by one social group about another. They are often used in a negative or prejudicial sense and are frequently used to justify certain discriminatory behaviours. More benignly, they may express sometimes-accurate folk wisdom about social reality.
 

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