Beards as Indicators of Trustworthiness

One way of proving your trustworthiness is by earning it the old-fashioned way. The other way, apparently, is by simply growing a beard.

The Chronicle of Higher Education reports on a study in the Journal of Marketing Communications, which found that among bearded and clean-shaven men, the bearded men were generally deemed more credible.

The study showed participants pictures of men endorsing certain products. In some photos, the men were clean-shaven. In others, the same men had beards. Participants thought the men with beards had greater expertise and were significantly more trustworthy when they were endorsing products like cell phones and toothpaste.

As the Chronicle rightly made mention: The study looked only at neatly trimmed beards of medium-length.

Might this have implications for say, the recent graduate, new to the job market, or the academic, still hopeful for a tenure track position?

Furthermore, if men can grow facial hair and are considered more credible because of it, what's the female equivalent? Or dare I even ask?

Twelve beards (cc), circa 1928, via Flickr user CGoulao.

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