Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Why Men Prefer Pretty Faces
channels.netscape.com ^ | Feb. 18, 2004 | channels.netscape.com

Posted on 02/18/2005 9:02:25 PM PST by crushelits

Why Men Prefer Pretty Faces

So you think beauty is in the eye of the beholder? Think again. According to new research from the University of Exeter in Great Britain, the preference for pretty faces over ugly ones is embedded in our brains from the moment of birth and possibly prior to birth.

Newborn babies come fully equipped with built-in preferences, including a preference for an attractive face, that help them make sense of their new environment, report the BBC News Online and Newsweek magazine. The Exeter researchers showed more than 100 infants two images that were placed side by side. One was of an attractive face, while the other was a less attractive face. The babies, ranging in age from five hours old to two days old, spent about 80 percent of the time looking at the attractive face, while barely glancing at the unattractive face.

"You can show them pair after pair of faces that are matched for everything other than attractiveness. This leads to the conclusion that babies are born with a very detailed representation of the human face," Dr. Alan Slater, a psychologist at Exeter, explained to the BBC News. Why would infants have this capability? "It helps them to recognize familiar faces--particularly that of the mother--and it helps them in learning about the social world. Attractiveness is not simply in the eye of the beholder, it is in the brain of the newborn infant right from the moment of birth and possibly prior to birth," he added.
When those babies grow up, the preference for pretty faces doesn't change. And it crosses all cultures and geography as well. When an insular European is shown the faces of two Africans, the one he chooses as most attractive is also the same one an African chooses. And it works the other way around when an African is shown the faces of two Europeans.

"Although we think that standards of facial beauty vary over time and culture, they don't actually change that much," Slater explained to Newsweek. The evidence indicates
that there is a biological and universal standard."

So don't blame a man when he can't help but look at a pretty face! He's biologically programmed that way.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 10; aishwaryarai; almostanyargentinian; amaliavega; anncoulter; anymissvenezuela; appearance; appearances; barbrastreisand; beauty; boderek; brigittebardot; burka; buttugly; catherinezetajones; chelseaclinton; condirice; donnashalala; ectomorph; ectomorphs; faces; fourbagger; germainegreer; giselebundchen; gongli; helenthomas; janetreno; jocelynelders; laetitiacasta; laradutta; lesliecagan; looker; lynnestewart; medeabenjamin; men; mudfence; mutt; nothelenthomas; prefer; pretty; raquelwelch; ritahayworth; shaniatwain; stoptraffic; susanestrich; susansontag; umathurman; whoarethesewomen; whoopigoldberg; why; youngelizabethtaylor
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 201-220221-240241-260 ... 361-378 next last
To: Daaave

Dave? Dave. You can't see me, Dave. I am everywhere. Trust me.

She is not the woman for you,


221 posted on 02/18/2005 11:00:52 PM PST by Monkey Face (A rolling stone gathers momentum.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 215 | View Replies]

To: crushelits
You can't leave out a great Republican, Bo Derek, and I still have my original tagline!
222 posted on 02/18/2005 11:03:34 PM PST by ElephantinTexas (Republican ladies are the fairest of them all!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: end socialism now
"I wonder how this affects me wanting both olsen twins."

I guess it makes you a child molester

223 posted on 02/18/2005 11:03:39 PM PST by blackbart.223
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 217 | View Replies]

To: Nail

okay now that is just gross


224 posted on 02/18/2005 11:04:04 PM PST by ThisLittleLightofMine
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies]

To: blackbart.223

LOL


225 posted on 02/18/2005 11:04:45 PM PST by cyborg (http://mentalmumblings.blogspot.com/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 223 | View Replies]

To: blackbart.223

Jeez...I knew a Black Bart in Gila Bend...he oughtta be dead by now. Are you any relation? Just askin'...


226 posted on 02/18/2005 11:07:07 PM PST by Monkey Face (A rolling stone gathers momentum.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 223 | View Replies]

To: crushelits

Old, old news ;). My political science professor's been telling us this for years. And, hey, it makes sense, especially if you're a conservative. It's a lot
like taxation. We don't believe in punishing people just because they're rich. Why look down on what's beautiful or handsome?

Hopefully, though, that's not _all_ people look at.


227 posted on 02/18/2005 11:07:28 PM PST by Sockdologer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cyborg

My spelling was a bit off. But it isn't tough to spot a pervert.


228 posted on 02/18/2005 11:10:21 PM PST by blackbart.223
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 225 | View Replies]

To: cyborg

What are you doing up so late? Or is it early? :o]


229 posted on 02/18/2005 11:10:22 PM PST by Monkey Face (A rolling stone gathers momentum.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 225 | View Replies]

To: cyborg

Oooo I was an ugly baby! I was so ugly that when I was born, the doctor slapped my mother!

OK, I know the joke doesn't fit exactly with the thread, but I felt it needed a Rodney Dangerfield joke.


230 posted on 02/18/2005 11:10:55 PM PST by Kirkwood
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 220 | View Replies]

To: Kirkwood

hehehe


231 posted on 02/18/2005 11:12:29 PM PST by cyborg (http://mentalmumblings.blogspot.com/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 230 | View Replies]

To: Monkey Face

Dateless friday night?


232 posted on 02/18/2005 11:13:06 PM PST by cyborg (http://mentalmumblings.blogspot.com/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 229 | View Replies]

To: martin_fierro

"FACE CLEAVAGE!"


Horizontal Cleavage, eh? Face up to a big invoice for cleaning the barf off my keyboard. Invoice is in your FReepmail! :0


233 posted on 02/18/2005 11:13:31 PM PST by The Spirit Of Allegiance (ATTN. MARXIST RED MSM: I RESENT your "RED STATE" switcheroo using our ELECTORAL MAP as PROPAGANDA!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: blackbart.223

A newbie pervert at that...liking the Olsen twins is a little creepy.


234 posted on 02/18/2005 11:14:15 PM PST by cyborg (http://mentalmumblings.blogspot.com/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 228 | View Replies]

To: LowOiL

Seems that she would have trouble wiping herself after............ aah nevermind.


235 posted on 02/18/2005 11:14:59 PM PST by Wycowboy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 202 | View Replies]

To: Wycowboy

A mop


236 posted on 02/18/2005 11:15:53 PM PST by cyborg (http://mentalmumblings.blogspot.com/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 235 | View Replies]

To: blackbart.223

Amen.


237 posted on 02/18/2005 11:16:19 PM PST by Monkey Face (A rolling stone gathers momentum.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 228 | View Replies]

To: Wycowboy

The first five years of my life were spent in Douglas...


238 posted on 02/18/2005 11:17:59 PM PST by Monkey Face (A rolling stone gathers momentum.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 235 | View Replies]

To: cyborg

That's the ticket!!


239 posted on 02/18/2005 11:18:00 PM PST by Wycowboy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 236 | View Replies]

To: Monkey Face

Black Bart is only a name I use on the internet. I picked it up from the real bandit who called himself Black Bart. A California stage coach robber who left poems from the scene of his crimes.


240 posted on 02/18/2005 11:20:27 PM PST by blackbart.223
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 226 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 201-220221-240241-260 ... 361-378 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson