Why Men Prefer Pretty Faces

channels.netscape.com ^ | Feb. 18, 2004 | channels.netscape.com

[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.

[Nail]

[cyborg]

If she became a happy person and conservative, she would look better. I've never seen an ugly conservative personality. I like Lashawn Barber. She's pretty and doesn't look like she wears any makeup.

[TheBrotherhood]

Nice dishes.

[finnman69]

[Sloth]

I think she wants to slip you some tongue.

[blackbart.223]

Following a photo of Heather with Babs should get you banned in my opinion.

You show bad taste in this matter.

[cyborg]

[nothingnew]

If you were here right now, I'd either feed you to my dogs or give you a shot and a beer. I'll have nightmares after seeing that. Was it Bob Hope who sang "Thanks For The Mammaries"?....Here's a shot and a beer.

FMCDH(BITS)

[crushelits]

NOT BAD BUT I PREFER THE ONE BELOW:

SHE'S EXTREMELY BEAUTIFUL

[sweetliberty]

"How much would they pay us to gather focus groups and ask them to compare Helen Thomas and Whoopie Goldberg to Anna Kornikova and Misha Barton?"

How about FReeper faces vs. DUmmy faces?

[doug from upland]

GO CHECK THIS CLASSIC THREAD

[finnman69]

Kim Gandy (NOW):"Psssstttt Hillary"

Hillary: Yes, Kim?"

Kim Gandy (NOW):"I'm not wearing any panties."

[Straight Vermonter]

[Ichneumon]

(dripping mucous) oh, I think that's the last of it..... oh help me dry heaves

But... she's got a great personality.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Example ? would a woman want a man to give her old ugly wilted dried up disgusting flowers ? or have a man give them fresh beautiful blooming flowers in their glory ?

[rwfromkansas]

Age must be smoking the weed.

[blackbart.223]

Regarding post #34.
My god! Have you decency?

[cyborg]

sheesh...

[sweetliberty]

That's just WRONG!

[F16Fighter]

"If she [Helen Thomas] became a happy person and conservative, she would look better."

Absolutely. But at the moment, she's hit the trifecta.

" I've never seen an ugly conservative personality. I like Lashawn Barber. She's pretty and doesn't look like she wears any makeup."

I don't know who Lashawn Barber is, but you are so right -- attitude and sense of humor, and smile from that person alter the entire equation of what's considered "attactive."