LETTER: Blonde bombshell

Sunday 11 April 1999 23:02 BST

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LETTER:

Blonde bombshell

Sir: So people make snap judgements about women's intelligence based on their hair colour, do they ("Dumb blonde image is alive and well", 10 April)?

This emerges from getting 120 people to rate a model for intelligence, among other attributes, from pictures in which she wears different coloured wigs. But the only people who could honestly participate in such an exercise are those who believe that appearance has something to do with intelligence. Anyone who didn't believe that would either refuse to take part or would make up their answers to please (or fool) the questioner. So the research tells us that of those who believe that appearance is linked to intelligence a significant proportion believe that appearance is linked to intelligence. Gosh.

As one who hasn't needed a comb for years, incidentally, I firmly believe that the only proven link in this area is an inverse relationship between hair and IQ.

ALEX GALLOWAY

London SE6

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