When Beauty Doesn't Pay: Gender and Beauty Biases in a Peer-to-Peer Loan Market

摘要: We analyzed a random sample of individual listings from an online market for peer-to-peer lending to examine the effects gender and attractiveness on receiving loans. In this setting, we tested theoretical argument that women are penalized violating beliefs about women's social roles when they seek loans male-typed endeavors, such as running business. Consistent with theory, female borrowers seeking business purposes were less likely receive funding. Surprisingly, facial moderated effect: even funding if attractive. This result qualifies conventional notion beauty diffuse asset underscores alternative idea may accentuate perceived femininity thus exacerbate disadvantages face in domains. Overall, our research shows task-relevant competence can carry over more formalized organizational contexts into new forms transactions designed reduce biases face-to-face interactions.