Why Some Old Lovers Look Alike

摘要： And, a new study suggests, the longer we are with someone, the more similarities in appearance grow. 我们都喜欢和自己长得像的人，因为他们往往和我们具有相似的性格特点。英国研究人员的一项最新研究显示，与一个人相处的时间越长，那么两人在外貌上也就拥有越来越多的相似点。

Forget about opposites attracting. We like people who look like us, because they tend to have personalities similar to our own.

And, a new study suggests, the longer we are with someone, the more similarities in appearance grow.

Researchers set out to investigate why couples often tend to resemble one another. They asked 11 male and 11 female participants to judge the age, attractiveness and personality traits of 160 real-life married couples. Photographs of husbands and wives were viewed separately, so the participants didn't know who was married to whom.

The test participants rated men and woman who were actual couples as looking alike and having similar personalities. Also, the longer the couples had been together, the greater the perceived similarities.

The researchers speculate that the sharing of experiences might affect how couples look.

A biological reason

The idea that there is a connection between appearance and personality might seem odd at first, but there could be biological reasons for a link, said study member Tony Little from the University of Liverpool in England.

"Testosterone is linked to masculine face shapes and it also affects behavior," Little told LiveScience. "Also, the face displays our emotions and over time emotional expressions may become written in the face."

For example, someone who smiles a lot may develop lines and muscles that are suggestive of someone who is happy.

Other studies have shown that partners who are genetically similar to each other tend to have happier marriages. Similarities in personalities and physical features might be one way to gauge genetic similarity.

Smiles and eyes

The new study, to be detailed in the March issue of the journal Personality and Individual Differences, indicates that people home in on a variety of different features when using facial appearance to make decisions about someone's personality and that the particular cues focused on change from face to face. Vital to the decision, however, are eyes and smiles.

"Smiles are important social cues that may tell us whether or not someone is friendly and eyes are also a traditional focus of attention," Little said.

Overall face shape can be important too. For example, the combination of masculine features, large chins, and dominant brow ridges can create an impression of disagreeableness and being unwilling to cooperate, Little said.

我们都喜欢和自己长得像的人，因为他们往往和我们具有相似的性格特点。英国研究人员的一项最新研究显示，与一个人相处的时间越长，那么两人在外貌上也就拥有越来越多的相似点。

据“生活科学”2月14日报道，日常生活中，人们不难发现一些长时间生活在一起的夫妇往往在外貌上很像，这就是人们所谓的“夫妻相”。

相同生活造就“夫妻相”？

英国科学家最近着手对“夫妻相”产生的原因进行调查研究。研究过程中，他们让11名男性参与者和11名女性参与者通过照片对160对夫妇的年龄、魅力和性格特点进行评价。由于丈夫和妻子的照片是分开进行观看的，因此这些参与者并不知道其中究竟谁和谁是一对夫妻。

研究者发现，参与者对事实上是夫妻的男人和女人的外貌和性格特点的评价都很类似。而且，相处时间越长的夫妻，人们对他们的评价也就越相似。对此，研究人员推测说，相同的生活经历可能会对夫妇的外貌产生潜移默化的影响。

外貌与性格具有某种关系

此项研究的参与者之一、英格兰利物浦大学的托尼·利特尔说，一个人的外貌和他的性格两者间具有某种关系的理论，开始听起来或许会有些奇怪。但是，这其中可能存在一些生物学上的原因。

利特尔表示，睾丸激素被和男性的脸部形状联系在一起，同时它也对男性的行为产生影响。同样，脸是我们表达情绪的平台，随着时间的过去，情绪表达就写在人们脸上了。举例来说，喜欢笑的人脸部可能会出现“笑纹”，相应的肌肉也较发达，而这些也同时暗示着这个人很快乐。

另外，此项研究还显示，人们在利用面部特征来判断某个人的性格特点时，这个人的眼睛和笑容是各种不同特征中最为重要的部分。对此，利特尔表示：“笑容是重要的社交提示，它可以告诉我们这个人是否友善；同时眼睛也是人们所关注的焦点。”

报道说，此项最新研究将发表在3月份出版的《个性和个体差异》杂志上。此前，其它的相关研究曾显示，那些从基因上来讲比较相像的夫妇，往往会拥有更为快乐的婚姻生活。性格和身体特征上的相似点或许是测量基因上类似之处的一种方法。