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The Science Behind The Perception Of Beauty

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Some say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but is that really true, and if so, why? CBS4's Vanessa Borge took a closer look at the science behind attraction, and why we're often not drawn to the same people.

We often look to Hollywood for standards of attractiveness.

"People agree that your George Clooneys and your Brad Pitts and your Ryan Goslings are fairly attractive people and most people would rate them as being more attractive than a Donald Trump or someone less likely to be known for their face," said Laura Germine, PhD, a research fellow in psychiatric genetics at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Germine said there are some characteristics that people find generally appealing like facial symmetry and healthy skin tone, but don't always agree on "who's hot and who's not." Is that because our preferences are programmed in our genes or are there other factors at play?

Germine and other researchers at Mass. General looked at almost 800 identical and fraternal twin pairs and showed them 200 average faces and what they found is that your genetics don't seem to play a huge role when it comes to your facial preferences.

"Once people have moved outside of the family home," said Germine, "they start to have different experiences, different groups of friends, different relationships, and different exposures to faces, even as they're walking down the street, and those factors are probably what's shaping a lot of these individual preferences."

A group of ladies was asked to look at the study faces and rate them. While they often agreed on which faces were most attractive, they didn't always find the same ones appealing.

"It's not just the face," said Felecia Cerrato, "it's the personality and lifestyle and morals. The total package is what makes someone attractive."

Which just goes to show beauty is in the eye of the beholder but is more than skin deep.

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