Facial Disfigurements Do Represent Grounds for Discrimination

Even if we think that we've gone past judging a book by its cover, a new research from the Rice University shows that people with facial disfigurements or other obvious wounds tend to be discriminated against when applying for a new job.

The list of factors that influence employers' decisions includes birthmarks, scars and burns, say experts at Rice and the University of Houston. The work is detailed in last month's issue of the esteemed Journal of Applied Psychology.

“Our research shows if you recall less information about competent candidates because you are distracted by characteristics on their face, it decreases your overall evaluations of them,” Rice professor of psychology Mikki Hebl explains.

The work indicates that employers should learn to control themselves when faced with an applicant that does not look like everyone else. Appearances are rarely indicative of what the individual in front of you can actually do.