News of a study by a team from the University of Pennsylvania comes as a huge boost for bald men, as well as those living in fear of baldness, everywhere.
University of Pennsylvania
The author of the latest study on how a mans choice to shave his head influences the perceptions of those around him is a chap called Albert E Mannes, who lectures at the highly regarded Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania – with claims to be the world’s first business school, it was certainly the first established within a university and has been producing business textbooks since 1881.
Let’s Hear It for Albert E. Mannes!
Mr Mannes, a social data scientist, devised three tests to deepen understanding around the effect of a bald nugget on the people around it. In the first, relatively simple, study, 59 people were shown 25 photographs of men with various hair lengths and styles, including 10 who had shaved heads. In line with similar studies performed previously the men with shaved heads were shown to be perceived as more dominant.
His second study was considerably larger and vastly more interesting. 344 people were shown photographs of four different men. In each case the men were shown with hair and then with their hair digitally removed so as to render them with the appearance of a shaved head. While the first study meant it was possible that the shaved head was perceived as dominant because the man concerned had chosen to shave his head, and thereby passed a nonverbal signal as to his dominance, this second study discovered something far more nuanced. It seems the bald version of the photograph was believed to belong to a man as not only more dominant but an inch taller and 13% stronger than the same man shown with hair.
Extending the idea behind the second study, the third and final study would make no use of photographs. Instead participants, more than 500 of them, were asked to form opinions on the character of people from written descriptions. The descriptions were identical except when it came to the hair – once again the shaved head came out on top scoring higher on every metric: masculinity; dominance; leadership potential and strength. Remarkable.
Mannes’ theory to explain these results is that shaven headed men, by removing their hair, give the impression of being bold and dominant. He also suggests that by failing to pass on some of the nonverbal information we collect from men’s hairstyles shaven headed men are also more enigmatic, mysterious. All unremittingly good news for those of us who have chosen, through Scalp Micropigmentation (SMP) or otherwise, to shave our own heads.
HIS Hair Clinic
We welcome the latest study to support the strength and suitability of our SMP treatment as right for men of all ages wherever they are. We sincerely hope they help a few more make the leap and book their own appointment. A free consultation with one of our friendly team of experts is available, simply complete the contact form at the side of the page or click here to find your nearest clinic.
