They say ‘the eyes are a window to the soul’… and now, apparently, a person’s face is a window to their financial situation!
According to a recent study, people’s faces can be used to determine if they are Rich or poor.
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- Who conducted the study?
- What did the study find?
- How did the author of the study react?
Who conducted the study?
Researchers from the University of Glasgow carried out the study | Image: University of Glasgow
Researchers at the University of Glasgow investigated what makes someone appear to belong to a higher or lower social class (so rich or not so rich) based on people’s perceptions of their appearance.
The researchers, who conducted the study with white volunteers from Western cultures, were able to discover which characteristics were automatically associated with someone belonging to a higher or lower class. So what makes you look richer?
What did the study find?
According to the findings, published in the APA Journal of Experimental Psychology, people in general with narrow faces, upturned mouths, close-set eyes, raised eyebrows and a warmer complexion are better off. Interestingly, respondents associated these characteristics with competence, friendliness, and trustworthiness.
What makes you rich? | Image: Pexels
In contrast, people believed to be of a lower social status had larger, shorter and flatter faces, as well as drooping mouths and colder complexions.
Following their example, these people were perceived as less competent and trustworthy.
How did the author of the study react?
Dr. R. Thora Bjornsdottir, author of the study, commented on the discovery: “People who consider themselves to be of high or low social class are generally judged to have favorable or negative characteristics, accordingly. Such judgments are formed based on appearance of the face”. alone, and can have serious effects, including disadvantages for people believed to belong to lower social classes.
By revealing facial features, this study provides new insights into what makes someone look rich or poor. Image: Pexels
“In this work, by revealing the facial features that underpin these subjective judgments, we provide new insights into what makes someone appear rich or poor, as well as how these judgments relate to positive and negative stereotypes (such as competence versus incompetence).” she adds.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn