• April 9, 2012

  • Shawn Rosenberg, political science professor, is quoted in the Washington Post April 6, 2012

From the Washington Post:
You've noticed it even if you think you haven't. That furry little dip in the center of his hairline, like the notch at the top of a valentine.... A not-uncommon trait, the widow's peak runs in families. They can help define a leading man's handsomeness (check out the forehead on Colin Farrell) or lend a sinister aspect (see Dracula, the Joker, Eddie Munster) - but it's rare to see one so prominent in presidential politics.... Research suggests widow's peaks are a plus at the polls. Shawn Rosenberg, a professor of political science and psychology at the University of California, Irvine, did a study in the late 1980s that found subjects were drawn to photos of mock politicians with certain facial characteristics. Widow's peaks, though more so on female candidates, were "a clear positive," he said. "It was associated with being seen as more competent and with greater integrity." (Really, why? "To be frank, I have no idea," he told us.)

For the full story, please visit http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/reliable-source/post/paul-ryans-wido....

Related News Items
Archive

 

© UC Irvine School of Social Sciences - 3151 Social Sciences Plaza, Irvine, CA 92697-5100 - 949.824.2766