Wider-faced politicians are seen as more corrupt

Have you ever wondered if you can tell if a politician is corrupt just by looking at their face? Well, according to a recent study, volunteers were surprisingly accurate in determining which politicians were corrupt based on facial features alone. The key trait that stood out among the corrupt politicians was a wide face, which past research has linked to aggressive behavior in men.

In the study, volunteers were shown photos of various politicians and asked to rate them on traits like corruptibility, honesty, and trustworthiness. Remarkably, the volunteers were able to predict the corrupt politicians about 70% of the time just by looking at their photos.

To further test their findings, the researchers evaluated photos of politicians who had been elected to state and local positions in California. Once again, the volunteers were able to identify the corrupt politicians with a high level of accuracy.

The researchers also analyzed the facial characteristics of the politicians to determine what physical features were associated with corruptibility. They found that politicians with wider faces were more likely to be perceived as corrupt.

While the study’s results are intriguing, the researchers admit that it’s not entirely clear how face width is linked to corruptibility. However, they suggest that people who appear corruptible may be more likely to be approached by others with corrupt intentions, leading to mutual behaviors that facilitate corruption.

Overall, the study highlights the power of first impressions and the role that facial features play in shaping our perceptions of others. It’s a fascinating look at how our brains make snap judgments based on physical appearance, and a reminder that looks can sometimes be deceiving.