Getting your hair and nails done are one of life’s little pleasures.
Now, experts have discovered that as well as giving ourselves a boost they also make us behave more kindly towards others.
A study has found that people who take small steps to improve their appearance are twice as likely to donate to charity.
The team, from Tel Aviv University, conducted a series of experiments, some in a virtual setting and others in a lab.
In one, participants were asked to use a filter to enhance a selfie they had taken. A control group, meanwhile, was asked to enhance a photo of an object in the room.
After viewing their enhanced photo, each participant collected an envelope with their payment in cash.
Next to the envelope was a donation box, so participants could voluntarily donate some of their payment.
Analysis revealed that members of the experimental group who saw themselves as more attractive after enhancing their own picture donated up to twice as much as those in the control group.
A study has found that people who take small steps to improve their appearance are twice as likely to donate to charity
Dr Natalie Kononov said: ‘People who are appearance-focused are often judged harshly, but we show that this behaviour can have positive spillover effects that benefit others’
A separate experiment, conducted on Facebook, involved asking one group of people about preferred architectural styles and the other group about fashion.
The fashion group were asked to imagine themselves at their most attractive moments, such as envisioning themselves dressed up for a fancy social event.
At the end of the experiment, a pop-up appeared with a link to a donation page.
About 7 per cent of people who answered the ‘beauty’ questionnaire clicked on the donation link, compared to 2 per cent who answered the architectural questionnaire.
Professor Danit Ein-Gar, one of the study authors, said: ‘When we enhance our appearance and feel beautiful, for example, after a fresh haircut, we behave in a more socially conscious manner.
‘Why? Because we feel as though all eyes are on us, that we’re drawing attention, and so we strive to act better.
‘It’s easy to criticize the selfie generation, constantly beautifying themselves and sharing polished photos, but we demonstrate a side effect of this behaviour that can benefit society.
‘People who feel good about their appearance can channel that feeling into good deeds.’
Professor Danit Ein-Gar said: ‘When we enhance our appearance and feel beautiful, for example after a fresh haircut, we behave in a more socially conscious manner
The team said their findings ‘open the door to innovative strategies’ for charity campaigns, for example partnering with cosmetic companies, hairdressers and beauty salons to boost donations.
Dr Natalie Kononov, who led the study, said: ‘Our society is obsessively focused on physical appearance while simultaneously criticizing this superficial behaviour.
‘People who are appearance-focused are often judged harshly, but we show that this behaviour can have positive spillover effects that benefit others..’
The findings were published in the International Journal of Marketing.
