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psychology

Do couples start to look alike?

A 2020 study of 517 couples found spouses look a little alike from the start and do not grow more alike over decades.

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Sources

Every claim in the video and the article comes from these sources.

  1. Zajonc RB, Adelmann PK, Murphy ST, Niedenthal PM. Convergence in the physical appearance of spouses. Motivation and Emotion 1987;11:335-346
  2. Tea-makorn PP, Kosinski M. Spouses' faces are similar but do not become more similar with time. Scientific Reports 2020;10:17001
  3. Tea-makorn PP, Kosinski M. Authors' FAQ on 'Spouses' faces are similar but do not become more similar with time' (not peer reviewed)
  4. Horwitz TB, Balbona JV, Paulich KN, Keller MC. Evidence of correlations between human partners based on systematic reviews and meta-analyses of 22 traits and UK Biobank analysis of 133 traits. Nature Human Behaviour 2023;7:1568-1583
  5. Humbad MN, Donnellan MB, Iacono WG, McGue M, Burt SA. Is spousal similarity for personality a matter of convergence or selection? Personality and Individual Differences 2010;49:827-830
  6. Wong YK, Wong WW, Lui KFH, Wong AC-N. Revisiting facial resemblance in couples. PLoS ONE 2018;13:e0191456
  7. Laeng B, Vermeer O, Sulutvedt U. Is beauty in the face of the beholder? PLoS ONE 2013;8:e68395
  8. DeBruine LM. Facial resemblance increases the attractiveness of same-sex faces more than other-sex faces. Proc R Soc B 2004;271:2085-2090
  9. Hinsz VB. Facial resemblance in engaged and married couples. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships 1989;6:223-229
  10. Griffiths RW, Kunz PR. Assortative mating: a study of physiognomic homogamy. Social Biology 1973;20:448-453
  11. Alvarez L, Jaffe K. Narcissism guides mate selection: humans mate assortatively, as revealed by facial resemblance, following an algorithm of 'self seeking like'. Evolutionary Psychology 2004;2:177-194
  12. ScienceAlert: Do couples start looking more alike over time? A new study finally solves the mystery (13 October 2020)

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