According to a study conducted by the University of Queensland, people are more likely to be attracted to individuals who resemble them.
The research involved heterosexual participants engaged in brief speed-dating sessions and was carried out by Amy Zhao, a PhD student from UQ’s School of Psychology. The study, published in Evolution and Human Behavior, was a collaborative effort between researchers from the University of Stirling and UQ’s School of Psychology Center for Psychology and Evolution.
The study examined facial images to determine averageness and attractiveness
Zhao said that their study enrolled 682 subjects who engaged in 2,285 speed-dating interactions with members of the opposite sex. Each interaction lasted for 3 minutes. Following each interaction, participants rated each other based on kindness, understanding, and facial attractiveness. The researchers also examined the participants’ facial images to determine measures of averageness, facial masculinity, and similarity between the partners.
In the study, it was observed that around 50% of the interactions involved individuals with the same ethnic background, while the remaining 50% involved individuals from different ethnic backgrounds. The participants in the study found partners with average facial features and similar faces to their own more attractive. Additionally, participants received higher ratings for facial attractiveness from partners belonging to the same ethnicity relative to those from another ethnicity. Interestingly, people with similar facial features were perceived as kinder to each other, irrespective of their ethnicity.
People get attracted to faces bearing the same resemblance
According to Zhao, this particular research is groundbreaking as it incorporates direct interpersonal exchanges, where individuals assess each other’s qualities in person. She explained that the outcomes of this study tackle significant drawbacks observed in previous research, which predominantly relied on participants rating a succession of pictures or digitally created facial images.
The findings imply that individuals tend to experience a sense of affinity when encountering faces that bear resemblance, leading to feelings of ease, recognition, and acceptance among those who share similar appearances.
Zhao concluded that gaining a deeper comprehension of how individuals evaluate attractiveness has the potential to aid in the realm of dating and establishing intimate connections.
