Forget about opposites attracting. We like
people who look like us, because they tend to have personalities
similar to our own.
And, a new study suggests, the longer we are with someone,
the more similarities in appearance grow.
Researchers set out to investigate why couples often
tend to resemble one another. They asked 11 male and 11
female participants to judge the age, attractiveness and
personality traits of 160 real-life married couples. Photographs
of husbands and wives were viewed separately, so the participants
didn't know who was married to whom.
The test participants rated men and woman who were actual
couples as looking alike and having similar personalities.
Also, the longer the couples had been together, the greater
the perceived similarities.
The researchers speculate that the sharing of experiences
might affect how couples look.
A biological reason
The idea that there is a connection between appearance
and personality might seem odd at first, but there could
be biological reasons for a link, said study member Tony
Little from the University of Liverpool in England.
"Testosterone is linked to masculine face shapes
and it also affects behavior," Little told LiveScience.
"Also, the face displays our emotions and over time
emotional expressions may become written in the face."
For example, someone who smiles a lot may develop lines
and muscles that are suggestive of someone who is happy.
Other studies have shown that partners who are genetically
similar to each other tend to have happier
marriages. Similarities in personalities and physical
features might be one way to gauge genetic similarity.
Smiles and eyes
The new study, to be detailed in the March issue of the
journal Personality and Individual Differences, indicates
that people home in on a variety of different features
when using facial appearance to make decisions about someone's
personality and that the particular cues focused on change
from face to face. Vital to the decision, however, are
eyes and smiles.
"Smiles are important social cues that may tell
us whether or not someone is friendly and eyes are also
a traditional focus of attention," Little said.
Overall face shape can be important too. For example,
the combination of masculine features, large chins, and
dominant brow ridges can create an impression of disagreeableness
and being unwilling to cooperate, Little said.
