Next time your wannabe-lover tries to put you in the Friend Zone, this research will cheer you up: In a study about perceived physical attractiveness, subjects played “hot or not” with high-school yearbook photos of either past classmates or strangers. The result? Familiar (and likable) faces were consistently rated as being more attractive than those of strangers. So OK, maybe your friend still doesn’t want to date you—but at least you know he thinks you’re hot. Not too shabby.
COLUMN: Familiarity Breeds Attraction
