MIAMI, April 23 (UPI) -- A University of Miami study reveals physical attractiveness, personality and grooming can affect grades in high school.
Michael T. French, one of the authors of the study, said several previous studies found that physical attractiveness is significantly related to labor market earnings for men and women.
However, the study found that physical attractiveness was not the most important non-cognitive predictor of grades, French said.
"Instead grooming and personality were stronger predictors of academic success in high school for boys and girls, respectively," French said in a statement.
The study also found that:
-- Physical attractiveness has a positive effect on grade-point average for both genders, but only when considered alone.
-- When physical attractiveness is considered along with grooming and personality, the positive effect of physical attractiveness on high school GPA turns negative for both genders.
-- For male students, grooming delivers the biggest overall effect on GPA.
-- For female students, personality is positively related to GPA.
-- All else equal, Hispanics and African-Americans have lower GPAs than whites and girls have higher GPAs than males.
-- Receiving public assistance is negatively associated with GPA.
The findings are published in the journal of Labor Economics.
