Abstract: In today’s business world, human faces are widely used as visual elements in advertisements and public relations. Studies have revealed that the facial features exhibited in a photograph can affect the judgment of a person’s character. Eyeglasses, which change one’s facial appearance, can also influence humans’ perceptions of an individual’s personality traits. Previous studies have shown that people wearing eyeglasses are deemed less sociable, less forceful, weaker, and less physically attractive than those without eyeglasses. Despite these negative associations, people wearing eyeglasses are also judged as intelligent and kind. In this study, we extend the literature by examining the impact of eyeglasses on judgments of a person’s trustworthiness.
We conducted six experiments. Study 1 (n = 186) investigated the main effects of wearing eyeglasses (vs. not) on trustworthiness. Study 2 (n = 91) explored the underlying mechanism of the effect of eyeglasses and demonstrated that this effect arises because people believe that the person who is wearing the eyeglasses is well educated. Study 3 (n = 400) and Study S1 (n = 400) explored the boundary conditions for this effect. When the company type is technology or creative design, which typically have higher educational entry requirements, the effect of glasses on trustworthiness disappears. Study 4a (n = 180) tested the downstream consequences of trustworthiness in a public relations crisis context. Study 4b conducted an online field experiment on Facebook to test another downstream consequence of trustworthiness signaled by eyeglasses: the willingness of people to participate in activities sponsored by nonprofits.
This research examines the effects of wearing eyeglasses (vs. not) on judgments. The results of our investigation suggest that wearing eyeglasses (vs. not) leads people to believe that the wearer is more trustworthy; this pattern is tied to the association between eyeglasses and educational attainment. We also identify two practical downstream consequences of a person’s trustworthiness induced by eyeglasses: whether people believe a CEO’s explanation in the face of a public relations (PR) crisis and whether they are willing to forgive his or her company and people’s willingness to establish contacts with a nonprofit organization (NPO).
In summary, this work contributes to the literature on facial characteristics and trait judgment in still images. It extends such research by showing that whether a person wears eyeglasses or not in a photograph affects their perceived trustworthiness. In addition, we discovered that eyeglasses solicit membership in well-educated groups, increase a person’s perceived educational level, and ultimately enhance the person’s perceived trustworthiness, which provides in-depth insight into how wearing eyeglasses influences trustworthiness. From a practical perspective, this research suggests a novel way for marketers to use CEOs or spokespersons: specifically, asking these staff members to wear eyeglasses when taking photos and then using the photos in firm communications could significantly enhance a person’s perceived trustworthiness.

Key words: eyeglasses, trustworthiness, perception of receiving a good education, nonprofit organization