Why the Pretty Often Prosper

Beauty May Be Judged in a Split Second and Is Hard to Resist, Study Shows

By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Medical News

Jan. 20, 2006 -- A pretty face may be pretty irresistible and put people in good moods, a new study shows.

The study, published recently in Emotion, had three key findings.

First, facial attractiveness was judged in a fraction of a second. The speed was so fast that participants barely knew what was happening.

Second, pretty faces were tied to positive words, like "laughter" and "happiness," more than negative words. But unattractive faces weren't linked to negative words.

Lastly, pretty faces seem particularly powerful. Attractive houses didn't spark the same reactions in the study's participants.

The researchers were Ingrid Olson, PhD, of the University of Pennsylvania, and Christy Marshuetz, PhD, of Yale University.

This explains why I'm so prosperous... :-)