Практический курс первого иностранного языка. 1 курс. Учебное пособие

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Практический курс первого иностранного языка. 1 курс

Task 26

Read the text paying attention to words in bold.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OFPHYSICALAPPEARANCE

IN SOCIALJUDGMENTS

It is widely recognized that physical appearance plays a significant role in our interpersonal interactions and social evaluations. However, the extent to which looks influence our perceptions and

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Module 2. Appearance and Character

judgments is often underestimated. This effect extends far beyond romantic relationships, permeating various aspects of our daily human interactions.

The factors contributing to ourperception of others go beyond the conventional notion of “beauty.” Our unconscious mind processes a multitude of cues, such as body language, voice, clothing, and social categorization, to construct a more comprehensive understanding of an individual’s character and qualities. This process of inference and interpretation occurs largely below our conscious awareness, shaping our impressions in subtle yet impactful ways.

Oneareawheretheinfluenceofphysicalappearancehasbeenextensively studied is the realm of politics.The voting arena provides a particularly relevant context to examine the effects of appearance on our social decisions, as the process of selecting political candidates bears similarities to the way we make choices in other domains, such as hiring, dating, and trust-building. Despite our belief that we evaluate candidates based on their merits, research suggests that a candidate’s appearance — specifically, a perceived sense of competence — can significantly sway voter preferences.

A series of studies led by political scientist Shawn W. Rosenberg at the University of California, Irvine, shed further light on this phenomenon. In the first study, 210 volunteers were asked to rate head-and-shoulder shots of hundreds of women in terms of how “able-looking” they appeared. From these ratings, the researchers identifiedspecificfacialfeaturesandcharacteristicsthatcontributed to this perception of competence, such as eye shape, hair style, and facial structure.

Building on these findings, the researchers then employed a professional makeup artist and photographer to create two versions of each candidate — one with a more competent-looking appearance and one with a less competent-looking appearance. A second study confirmed that these manipulations had the desired effect on perceived competence.

The researchers then recruited another group of volunteers to act as “voters” in a series of simulated elections. Each candidate was presented in their “attractive” form to half the participants, while their opponent was presented in the “unattractive” form. The other

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Практический курс первого иностранного языка. 1 курс

half of the participants saw the same candidates, but with the appearance variable reversed. The results showed a significant advantage for the candidates portrayed with the more competent-looking appearance, who received on average 56 % of the vote compared to 44 % for their less able-looking counterparts — a 12-percentage point swing.

In a related study conducted at Princeton, psychologists Alexander Todorov and Charles C. Ballew II found that even fleeting impressions of competence, based on rapid exposure to headshots of candidates, strongly correlated with actual election outcomes. Participants who were shown pairs of candidate photos for justaquarterofasecondwereabletoaccuratelypredictthewinner in about 70 % of the real-world Congressional and gubernatorial races.

These findings are remarkable in light of the extensive resources invested in advertising candidates’ records, views, and personal qualities.They suggest that hidden, subconscious influences related to physical appearance can have a significant impact on our social judgments and decision-making, not only in the political arena but across various areas of our lives.

Pick the right option according to the text:

1. How does the passage suggest that the influence of physical appearance on social judgments extends beyond romantic relationships?

a) It permeates various aspects of daily human interactions. b) It is limited to the political arena.

c) It is primarily driven by conscious, rational considerations. d) It is overestimated and not as significant as we believe.

2. According to the passage, what is one of the key factors that contributes to our perception of others beyond the conventional notion of “beauty”?

a)Racial and ethnic background

b)Social status

c)Unconscious processing of cues like body language and voice

d)Conscious evaluation of an individual’s merits

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Module 2. Appearance and Character

3. What is the main argument the passage makes about the influence of physical appearance on voter preferences?

a) Voters accurately evaluate candidates based on their merits. b) Appearance has no significant impact on actual election out-

comes.

c) A candidate’s perceived competence can significantly sway voter preferences.

d)Votersareprimarilyinfluencedbyacandidate’srecord,views, and personal qualities.

4. Which specific finding from the first study led by Shawn W. Rosenberg does the passage highlight?

a) Participants could accurately predict the winner in about 70 % of real-world elections.

b) Specific facial features and characteristics contribute to the perception of competence.

c) Candidates with a more competent-looking appearance received significantly more votes.

d)Appearance had no significant effect on the voting outcomes.

5. What was the main purpose of the second study conducted by Rosenberg and his team?

a) To confirm that the appearance manipulations had the desired effect on perceived competence.

b)To determine the specific factors that contribute to the perception of competence.

c) To assess the impact of appearance on actual election outcomes.

d) To investigate the role of body language and voice in shaping social judgments.

6. Based on the Princeton study, what was the correlation between fleeting impressions of competence and actual election outcomes?

a)Participants could predict the winner in about 30 % of re- al-world elections.

b)Participants could not accurately predict the winner based on fleeting impressions.

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Практический курс первого иностранного языка. 1 курс

c)Participants could predict the winner in about 70 % of re- al-world elections.

d)Appearance had no significant impact on actual election outcomes.

7. What is the overall implication of the research findings presented in the passage regarding the influence of physical appearance on our social judgments and decision-making?

a)It is limited to the political arena and does not extend to other areas of our lives.

b)It is significant and can have a substantial impact across various areas of our lives.

c)It is overestimated and not as important as we believe.

d)It is primarily driven by conscious, rational considerations.

Task 27

Translate the words. Put them in your dictionary.

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Task 28

Skim through the text again and highlight the main ideas of the text. Express at least 3 ideas in the form of statements.

For example: “There is a correlation between the appearance of a person and the perception of competence”.

Discuss your statements with your partner and choose 3 main ideas expressed in the text with which you personally agree.

Task 29

Create your sentences with new expressions so that it becomes a coherent guide of how to make a good impression at the important meeting/presentation etc.

You may start with the phrase: “There is no doubt that your look may predetermine the outcome of the…”

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Практический курс первого иностранного языка. 1 курс

Task 30

LookattheGoogletranslationofthetextfromRussianintoEnglish. Compare it with the original. Edit the translated version focusing on stylistic errors and lexical ambiguity.

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Практический курс первого иностранного языка. 1 курс

Task 31

Think about the professions in which one’s appearance is of utmost importance. Look at the options below and discuss them with your partner. Choose one option where your appearance is the most important.

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