Subscribe
The latest psychology and neuroscience discoveries.
My Account
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Neuroscience
  • About
No Result
View All Result
PsyPost
PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusive Relationships and Sexual Health Attractiveness

Can your high school yearbook photo predict your longevity? New research has surprising answer

by Eric W. Dolan
August 1, 2024
in Attractiveness
(Photo credit: DALL·E)

(Photo credit: DALL·E)

Share on TwitterShare on Facebook
Stay on top of the latest psychology findings: Subscribe now!

It turns out that looking good in your high school yearbook might have more significance than just reminiscing over youthful days. A new study published in Social Science & Medicine has found that people who were rated as the least attractive based on their high school yearbook photos tend to have shorter lives than their more attractive counterparts. In particular, those in the lowest attractiveness sextile had significantly higher mortality rates.

The rationale behind this study is rooted in the well-documented observation that various social conditions, such as income, marital status, and education, significantly impact health and longevity. However, the role of physical attractiveness in determining lifespan has been relatively overlooked. This oversight is noteworthy because attractiveness may not only indicate underlying health but also systematically influence critical social stratification processes that affect health outcomes.

For example, greater physical attractiveness can positively impact social stratification processes such as securing employment, earning higher incomes, and forming beneficial social connections. These social advantages can lead to better life outcomes, underscoring the significant role that societal perceptions of beauty play in shaping overall health and longevity.

Previous studies on the relationship between attractiveness and health have produced mixed results, and it remains unclear whether greater attractiveness confers a longevity advantage or if lesser attractiveness results in a penalty. Additionally, these studies often failed to account for various life-stage factors and demographic characteristics that might influence this relationship. By using a large, longitudinal dataset — the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study — the researchers sought to provide a more robust analysis.

“I have always thought that attraction is an understudied aspect of social inequality. It may not be as structural as other dimensions but everyone knows that it is important. I also met and pitched this idea to one of the foremost experts, Dr. Hamermesh, who has studied how attraction shapes the life course for decades,” said study author Connor M. Sheehan, an associate professor at Arizona State University.

The Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS) is a survey that followed Wisconsin high school graduates from 1957 throughout their lives. This dataset includes a sample of 8,386 individuals who were tracked until their death or through their early 80s. The researchers used high school yearbook photographs to measure facial attractiveness, which was rated by independent judges. Each respondent’s attractiveness was rated on an eleven-point scale by six male and six female raters who were trained to ensure consistency in their evaluations.

To link attractiveness with longevity, the researchers used mortality data from the National Death Index-plus, covering deaths up until 2022. They employed Cox proportional hazard models and life-table techniques to analyze the relationship between attractiveness and mortality risk.

These models allowed the researchers to account for various covariates, such as high school achievement, intelligence, family background, adult earnings, and mental and physical health in middle adulthood. By including these factors, the researchers aimed to isolate the specific impact of attractiveness on longevity.

The study found that individuals rated as the least attractive, comprising the bottom one-sixth of the attractiveness scale, had significantly higher mortality risks compared to those with average attractiveness. Specifically, those in the lowest sextile faced a 16.8% higher hazard of mortality than those in the middle four sextiles.

Interestingly, the study did not find significant differences in mortality risk between highly attractive individuals and those with average attractiveness. This indicates that while being unattractive is associated with a shorter lifespan, being highly attractive does not confer additional longevity benefits over being average-looking. This pattern was consistent across different life stages and specifications of attractiveness, reinforcing the validity of the results.

“People who were rated as the least attractive based on their yearbook photos live shorter lives than others,” Sheehan told PsyPost. “Also, and interestingly, we found no real advantage of the most attractive rated people compared to everyone else something which surprised both of us. That is, it is really more of an unattractive penalty more so than an attractiveness advantage, at least for longevity in this cohort of Wisconsin high school graduates. These findings really stress more equitable treatment of people, regardless of their looks.”

Despite the comprehensive nature of this study, it does have its limitations. One such limitation is that the sample consisted only of high school graduates from Wisconsin, which may not be representative of the entire U.S. population. The sample was also predominantly non-Hispanic White, which limits the generalizability of the findings across different racial and ethnic groups.

Another limitation is the potential variability in photograph quality and other unmeasured factors such as childhood health status, which could have influenced the attractiveness ratings and subsequent mortality risks. However, the study did control for a wide range of variables, and the findings remained consistent.

Future research should consider replicating this study with more diverse samples to understand better the intersectional processes at play, such as the impact of racialized and gendered conceptions of beauty. It would also be valuable to explore the specific pathways through which unattractiveness may lead to higher mortality risk, including potential discrimination, social stigma, and stressors faced by less attractive individuals.

The study, “Looks and longevity: Do prettier people live longer?“, was authored by Connor M. Sheehan and Daniel S. Hamermesh.

RELATED

Can facial fillers and Botox-like injections improve your dating prospects or how others see you?
Attractiveness

Can facial fillers and Botox-like injections improve your dating prospects or how others see you?

August 26, 2025

New research suggests that minimally invasive facial aesthetic treatments, such as fillers and neurotoxin injections, offer only a modest boost in perceived attractiveness. The treatments had little effect on how trustworthy, competent, or romantically desirable people were judged to be.

Read moreDetails
Women feel unsafe when objectified—but may still self-sexualize if the man is attractive or wealthy
Attractiveness

Women feel unsafe when objectified—but may still self-sexualize if the man is attractive or wealthy

August 23, 2025

New research from China suggests that women feel unsafe when confronted with a sexually objectifying gaze—but still choose to self-sexualize if the man is attractive or high status. The findings highlight a psychological tradeoff between risk and potential reward.

Read moreDetails
Too attractive to relate? Study suggests extreme beauty may backfire for fitness influencers
Attractiveness

Too attractive to relate? Study suggests extreme beauty may backfire for fitness influencers

August 21, 2025

A new study challenges the idea that more beauty equals more influence. Researchers found that highly attractive fitness influencers often receive less engagement than moderately attractive ones—likely because their polished appearance makes them seem less relatable to their followers.

Read moreDetails
Traditional beliefs can shift the link between beauty and women’s sexual openness, new research suggests
Attractiveness

Traditional beliefs can shift the link between beauty and women’s sexual openness, new research suggests

August 14, 2025

Physically attractive women tend to report greater interest in casual sex, but a new study finds that traditional moral values—especially those emphasizing social order and purity—can override this tendency, particularly among women with rural or conservative backgrounds.

Read moreDetails
A simple verbal hint can alter a person’s visual perception, especially if they are highly suggestible
Attractiveness

Scientists map the visual patterns people use when evaluating others’ bodies

August 1, 2025

Researchers have used eye-tracking to show that our gaze is not random when we evaluate bodies. A study in Behavioral Sciences found that attention is focused on the chest and torso, and this focus shifts when judging for attractiveness, health, or youth.

Read moreDetails
Fascinating new research reveals how sexual desire shapes long-term partner preferences
Attractiveness

Fascinating new research reveals how sexual desire shapes long-term partner preferences

July 29, 2025

Psychologists have discovered that sexual desire plays a key role in long-term partner preferences. When desire increases, women’s interest in physical attractiveness rises to match men's, reducing long-standing sex differences in what people look for in committed relationships.

Read moreDetails
Weird disconnect between gender stereotypes and leader preferences revealed by new psychology research
Attractiveness

Researchers explore the role of social and sexual attractiveness in hiring decisions

July 21, 2025

How much do looks really matter when hiring someone or evaluating a coworker? A new study finds that people claim to prioritize charm and liveliness over physical beauty — but researchers suspect those answers may not reflect actual behavior.

Read moreDetails
New research shows 2020 U.S. vote counts were extraordinarily accurate, contradicting fraud claims
Attractiveness

What makes women’s lips attractive? Study points to balance over volume

July 21, 2025

Despite the popularity of full lips on social media, new research finds that people tend to favor more natural proportions. Lips with exaggerated volume were rated as unattractive, while balanced upper-to-lower lip ratios remained the most aesthetically preferred.

Read moreDetails

STAY CONNECTED

LATEST

Autism’s “odd gait”: Autistic movement differences linked to brain development

Scientists achieve “striking” memory improvements by suppressing brain protein

Some neurocognitive deficits from COVID-19 may last for years, study suggests

Single dose of psilocybin provides lasting relief from depression and anxiety in cancer patients

Fascinating new psychology research shows how music shapes imagination

Surprising link found between aesthetic chills and political extremism

Insecurely attached individuals are less likely to go for a compromise in relationship conflicts

Conspiracy theories can significantly influence public support for war

         
       
  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms and Conditions
[Do not sell my information]

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Cognitive Science Research
  • Mental Health Research
  • Social Psychology Research
  • Drug Research
  • Relationship Research
  • About PsyPost
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy