Conservatives are more attractive than liberals, study finds

Hot people are more likely to support right-wing parties because they are stronger and more successful than their more liberal peers, apparently.

That's according to a study carried out by Rolfe Daus Peterson, a political scholar from Susquehanna University and Carl Palmar, assistant professor in politics at Illinois State University.

The researchers claim that never before has the effects of physical attractiveness on politics been examined on this level and that there is "good reason to believe that individuals’ physical attractiveness may alter their political values and worldviews".

They said that their findings prove attractive people tend to lean towards the right because they have better social skills and are more popular, competent and intelligent due to the "halo effect" - an idea that bias and stereotypes influence the way people judge others.

Writing about their findings in the Politics and Life Sciencesjournal published in December 2017, the pair said that on average, hotter people have an easier life so don't see the need for more welfare, aid and government support, unlike their left-wing counterparts.

How did the researchers come to this conclusion?

Using figures from two earlier surveys, the pair said they soothed concerns around the bias of attractiveness because obviously different people find different things attractive, right?

First, the scholars took figures from the 1972, 1974 and 1976 American National Studies surveys that asked those taking part to evaluate the appearance of others.

The survey also explored participants political beliefs, income, race, gender, and education. They then compared those results with the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS) that examined the characteristics of over 10,000 high school graduates who were rated by others on their level of attractiveness.

Bringing everything together, Peterson and Palmer argue a connection between an individual's physical attractiveness and political beliefs could be revealed.

They went on to argue that although what people view as attractive may vary, criteria for attractiveness appears to be consistent within cultural groups, pointing to earlier evidence of what beauty is and means.

Attractive people tend to be conservative because of a 'blind spot'

The scholars said hot people lean towards the right because they grow to develop a blind spot that leads them to not see the need for more government support or aid in society - a core liberal value.

They add that attractive people don’t face the same hurdles as others as their attractiveness gains them more attention and they are more successful in social situations. Their lives are generally “easier,” the pair claim.

They add:

Even though this blind spot may not be universally held and physically attractive individuals do not always have easier lives, on average, physically attractive individuals face fewer hurdles navigating the social world.

They conclude that because of this, they expect attractive people to be more likely to support right-wing conservative parties and point to another study that concluded that conservatives are more attractive.

More: If music gives you goosebumps, your brain might be special

Watch: 9 scientifically verified ways to be more attractive​