THE KOJAK EFFECT

Feeling in need of a manliness boost? Shave your head.
In a study, 344 people evaluated photos of four men, of moderate attractiveness, with medium-length hair. The images were either digitally altered to make the men appear as if their heads had been shaved or not (creating eight distinct photos). When the heads were shaved, onlookers rated the men as more dominant, confident, masculine and even a few years older. The men with shaved heads were judged to be about an inch taller and capable of bench-pressing 13% more weight. There was no difference in ratings of leadership potential or perceived "normality."
A small catch: The men with shaved heads were deemed slightly less attractive—5.41 versus 5.92 on a nine-point scale.

"Shorn Scalps and Perceptions of Male Dominance," Albert E. Mannes, Social Psychological and Personality Science (forthcoming)