A new study has found that lawyers are trusted about as much as
prostitutes.
The conclusion was reached by two Princeton academics investigating how scientists are perceived compared to other professions. The article, peer-reviewed and published by the US National Academy of Sciences, theorises that trust and respect are based on perceptions of warmth and competence respectively. Authors Susan Fiske and Cydney Dupree asked 116 people to rate various professions on the qualities, and charted the unholy results:
In the top right is the 'pride' corner, where professionals are both trusted and respected. In the bottom left is the 'contempt' corner, whose inhabitants are not. The study found that lawyers fell in the bottom right corner, home of "ambivalently perceived high-competence, low-warmth 'envied' professions". Although lawyers scored extremely highly on competence, above accountants, bankers and CEOs, they came up very short on affection. In fact, in the minds of the 116 people surveyed, only prostitutes were less caring. Maybe there's logic behind RPC's cuddly slogans after all.
Fiske and Dupree argue that being cold and envied is not a problem "until one recalls that communicator credibility requires not just status and expertise (competence)", but also "trustworthiness (warmth)". Of which lawyers apparently possess as little as Mata Hari.
It means those passed over for partnership can be reassured that it's not just them who view lawyers "with mixed emotions that include both admiration and resentment", it's the entire world/116 people who trade in crude stereotypes.
Tip Off ROF
The conclusion was reached by two Princeton academics investigating how scientists are perceived compared to other professions. The article, peer-reviewed and published by the US National Academy of Sciences, theorises that trust and respect are based on perceptions of warmth and competence respectively. Authors Susan Fiske and Cydney Dupree asked 116 people to rate various professions on the qualities, and charted the unholy results:
 |
Lies, damned lies and statistics |
In the top right is the 'pride' corner, where professionals are both trusted and respected. In the bottom left is the 'contempt' corner, whose inhabitants are not. The study found that lawyers fell in the bottom right corner, home of "ambivalently perceived high-competence, low-warmth 'envied' professions". Although lawyers scored extremely highly on competence, above accountants, bankers and CEOs, they came up very short on affection. In fact, in the minds of the 116 people surveyed, only prostitutes were less caring. Maybe there's logic behind RPC's cuddly slogans after all.
Fiske and Dupree argue that being cold and envied is not a problem "until one recalls that communicator credibility requires not just status and expertise (competence)", but also "trustworthiness (warmth)". Of which lawyers apparently possess as little as Mata Hari.
 |
"Fig.3: my lawyer's response to a trust exercise" |
It means those passed over for partnership can be reassured that it's not just them who view lawyers "with mixed emotions that include both admiration and resentment", it's the entire world/116 people who trade in crude stereotypes.
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