Attractiveness

A new study finds that people across cultures and sexual orientations generally prefer feminine facial features—even in men. The findings challenge long-held assumptions about the appeal of masculine male faces and highlight how identity shapes perceptions of attractiveness.

Despite small differences in average ratings by gender, race, and sexual orientation, people showed strong agreement in which breasts they found most attractive, suggesting shared aesthetic preferences across diverse demographic groups.

A new study published in Acta Psychologica reveals that people’s judgments about whether a face is real or AI-generated are influenced by facial attractiveness and personality traits such as narcissism and honesty-humility—even when all the images are of real people.

A new study of indigenous men in Papua, Indonesia, found that exposure to topless women during youth did not reduce sexual interest in female breasts—suggesting male attraction to breasts may stem from evolved biology rather than cultural taboos.

A new brain imaging study suggests that learning even brief personal details—such as political views or psychiatric history—can alter how attractive someone’s face appears. The brain responds by activating areas involved in processing language, values, and social meaning.

A study published in The Laryngoscope reveals that eye movements during face evaluation can predict attractiveness judgments. Men are drawn to women’s mouths, while women are more influenced by men’s eyes and hair.

Think success shapes your dating standards? A new study finds that factors like income, education, and age barely predict romantic expectations, while self-image matters more.

Does facial hair build trust? A new study finds it depends on age, attractiveness, and beard style.

A new study finds that humans are surprisingly good at detecting subtle differences in physical attractiveness and formidability—doing so quickly and with impressive accuracy.

Women perceive men with limbal rings as healthier, but not more attractive, according to a new study that clarifies previous conflicting findings on this subtle eye feature.

In online dating, looks dominate—and surprisingly, men and women prioritize physical attractiveness the same way, according to a study of real-world swiping decisions.

Do beauty filters influence how we judge character? Yes, says new research. People using filters are seen as more attractive, intelligent, trustworthy, and sociable. However, the study also highlights a possible downside: reinforcement of gender stereotypes in intelligence perceptions.

Deep neural networks outperform traditional methods in measuring facial traits, improving predictions of attraction and kindness while avoiding biases like head tilt, according to new research.

A recent study found that men overestimate the masculinity women prefer in male faces, while women overestimate the femininity men prefer in female faces.

A study uncovered an "ugly leniency effect" in which unattractive faces were more likely to be judged innocent, regardless of time pressure or thinking style.