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The Influence of Weight Bias on Processes and Outcomes in Negotiation
Josh A Arnold1,2, Kathleen M O'Connor3,2, Eric Gladstone2
1Department of Management/HRM, California State University, Long Beach, CA, USA.
Psychological Reports
|March 17, 2021
Summary
Weight bias negatively impacts negotiations. Overweight individuals receive lower offers, more negative communication, and less favorable evaluations in competitive situations.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Weight bias is a pervasive social issue.
- Its impact on high-stakes interactions remains under-explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how weight bias influences behavior in competitive negotiation scenarios.
- To determine if weight bias affects offer value, communication, and post-negotiation evaluations.
Main Methods:
- Two studies were conducted using diverse samples.
- Participants engaged in competitive, high-stakes negotiation simulations.
- Focal actors' treatment of counterparts was analyzed based on counterpart's weight.
Main Results:
- Weight bias significantly influenced negotiation dynamics.
- Negotiators made lower value offers to overweight counterparts.
- Overweight counterparts received more negative messages and were evaluated less favorably.
Conclusions:
- Weight bias detrimentally affects negotiation outcomes for overweight individuals.
- Findings highlight the need to address weight bias in professional and competitive settings.
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