Radiation of Black Beauty: Perceptions of Self-Esteem and Self-Efficacy Based on Facial Attractiveness and Skin-Tone of African Americans

The phenomenon of radiating beauty refers to the positive perception people have of an individual who is closely associated with a person of high facial attractiveness. This study examined the radiating beauty effect in the African American community. The historical perspective of skin tone and its role in intra-racial physical attraction among African Americans was explored. Specifically, this study investigated the possibility of the radiating beauty phenomenon in the African American community and the effects of attractiveness and skin tone. Thirty African American females were recruited for a validation study to establish empirically the degree of facial attractiveness and skin tone of African American male and female photographs. Based on the results of the validation study, photographs of African American males judged to be of average facial attractiveness and medium skin tone were paired with photographs of an African American females judged to be of either high or low facial attractiveness and of light or dark skin tone. In the experimental study, 112 African American female participants were asked to rate both the male and female of the couple on perceived self-esteem and self-efficacy. Self-esteem and self-efficacy were measured using "The Index of Psychological Well-Being Among African Americans" and "The General Self-Efficacy Scale," respectively. A series of 2 (level of skin tone) x 2 level of attractiveness) ANOVAs were computed to investigate the possibility of the radiating beauty phenomenon operating within the African American community. The results of these analyses failed to demonstrate a radiating beauty effect for African Americans. For judgments of female self-esteem, the analysis revealed no significant main effects or interactions for level of skin tone or level of attractiveness. For judgments of female self-efficacy, no significant main effects were found, however, there was a skin tone by attractiveness interaction. Specifically, unattractive dark skinned females were judged higher in self-efficacy than unattractive light skinned females. There was a significant main effect for level of attractiveness of the female in judgments of male self-esteem That is, males coupled with an attractive female were judged significantly lower in self-esteem than males who were coupled with an unattractive female. Similar results were revealed for judgments of male self-efficacy. Specifically, males paired with unattractive females were judged to have higher self-efficacy than males paired with attractive females.