![]() In one 2017 study, researchers found both gay men and straight women were twice as likely to have a romantic partner with an eye color close to that of their father's. So how much weight do people actually put on eye color when it comes to judging a potential partner's attractiveness? Some research cites an unexpected link between the eye color of one's partner and that person's parents. "Yes, we certainly may have an innate personal preference, yet much of what we are attracted to is based upon a long history (from birth forward) of what is deemed attractive." ![]() "We are, as a society, very much influenced by the media," says Manly. ![]() Thus, when it comes to eye color, Manly explains that it's important to factor in how humans are-from childhood forward-exposed to the likes of Cinderella, Snow White, Barbie, TV, and movie personalities who tend to play out the fantasy that blue-eyed people are "fun" and "adventurous" whereas a person with steely-gray eyes or brown eyes might be typecast as the serious, sensible-yet kind-individual. "As such, the 'fun' and 'sexy' aspects attributed to a blue-eyed person are certainly a result of the heavy media influences." "Our culture often idolizes a 'blond-haired, blue-eyed' person this has been emphasized in movies and the media for decades," she tells mbg. Manly explains that this might be because cultural influences also have an effect on that which we desire (whether that be eye color, hair color, or body shape). The 1-800-Contacts survey did align with a lot of that research, though: When asked about what personality traits they associated with each eye color, blue eyes were considered "sexy" and associated with a love for "trying new things" while brown eyes were considered "trustworthy" and "kind."ĭespite gray eyes being rated as the most attractive, 47.6% of the survey respondents revealed they would still choose to have blue eyes if given a choice. Tangentially, the researchers suggest that the sometimes longer and more angular features of people with blue eyes strip them of this quality. As a counterpoint, though, a separate study found brown eyes to be associated with dominance. These researchers posit that the rounder and softer features of brown-eyed individuals make their faces appear more babylike and, thus, more innocent or trustworthy. That said, the researchers found this wasn't necessarily due to the eye color itself but rather the facial structure accompanying brown-eyed people. A peer-reviewed study 3 published in the journal PLOS ONE found we subconsciously assume people with brown eyes are more trustworthy. There's also a lot to be said about what we associate with specific eye colors. Some research 2 shows that people with lighter eye colors, on the other hand, tend to be less agreeable and more competitive. ![]() Having more melanin, the pigment that creates the darkened hue of brown eyes, has been associated with things like being better at sports 1 and being worse at handling alcohol. And though in some cases that which is novel is considered a detriment in others-such as a different eye color-it can also be considered interesting or attractive.ĭoes eye color tell us anything real about a person, though? Well, partially. Throughout evolution, she says, we've retained this interest in that which is novel. "Rooted in primitive survival mechanisms, the human mind-and the human eye-tends to notice that which is different and unique."Īccording to Manly, this tendency came from the need to notice that which was "different" in the environment in order to ascertain if the novel item or experience was safe or unsafe. "It makes sense that the rarer colors tend to be more captivating," clinical psychologist Carla Marie Manly, Ph.D., explains in an interview with mbg. Statistically speaking, the rarest eye colors are gray and red/violet, and this novelty could be the reason gray eyes ranked as the most popular color among survey participants. After brown comes the blue-eyed crowd, with 8% to 10% of the world having blue eyes, 5% having amber or hazel eyes, and 2% of the world having green eyes. Conversely, brown eyes are the most common color yet the least attractive to the survey's respondents.Īccording to World Atlas, approximately 79% of the world's population has brown eyes, making it the most common eye color in the world. One of the study's main findings was that gray eyes are both the rarest and the statistically most attractive eye color, with hazel and green following closely behind. ![]() 1-800-Contacts recently conducted a survey of 1,000 people in order to figure out people's perceptions of eye color and what these different color preferences can reveal about us. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |