How many people were doing the rating? It’s hardly scientific if just a handful of people were “scoring” the faces.

I believe it. I’ve always thought the more mixing the better. Perhaps eventually it will erase racism.

Very true.

What might end up happening is purebread might become a novelty. Perhaps to the point some will want to try and save it before extinction. Mankind is predictable.

@Ryan Singer:

or, they’ll insist on making new breeds, like Chihuahuas and Shih Tzus in dogs.

of course, the new breeds will bring back the health problems…

Actually I think we are indvertantly breeding a new type: Super models. Tall thin angular types with socially acceptable ideals of beautiful features breeding with like kind.
But ideals of beauty change. Just think what people would have thought of a supermodel of today back at the turn of the century. She would have appeared freakish.

“Beauty is in the eye and heart of the beholder”. Facial Symmetry has been a bench mark though-out history. The Bi Racial faces were in fact more symmetrical rather than more or less Bi racial.

Anecdotally, I always suspected this to be true. Now we have proof. Wow!

I think you would get a completely different set of results if you were asking people in different parts of the country. In Central Scotland, or the Highlands of Scotland, for example, where there are very few black people, or mixed race people, I doubt very much if the results would be the same.

Barry – Speaking as someone born, raised and currently living in Central Scotland, I think you’re grossly underestimating the level of racial diversity and acceptance within Scotland. I’m not sure why you think Cardiff would have more black/mixed race people than somewhere like Glasgow.

http://www.faceoftomorrow.com/

The author combines faces from various geographical regions to create composite “people.” Very interesting, but the thing that makes them attractive is the symmetry inherent in the process.

I agree that symmetry is the main factor in determining what is pleasing to the eye, but certain physical traits do tend to be viewed as more or less beautiful in different time periods. In the 20′s for example, large eyes and a small mouth were the focus where as today, eye size is not as much an issue but cheek bones and lips are pretty important. Full lips are very in right now. Having said that I still agree that bi and multiracial faces are generally speaking, more beautiful.

I had alway thought this was the case, as did many others I have spoken to.

Not only is attractiveness accentuated, the unattractiveness of any single ethnicity is de-emphasized.

Race is perhaps impossible to define scientifically, but the authors can clearly define what a biracial human is? I doubt they genetically tested every person in the study to determine how ‘biracial’ they actually were or were not.

Can we get the numbers? How many préfered mixed race? What is the significance?

Marc, you can view the study details in the journal Perception, online at http://www.perceptionweb.com/perception/fulltext/p39/p6626.pdf. Hope that helps.

Oh dat gurl is hawt. But seriously, I wouldn’t mind dating someone of a different ethniticity. Break the mold. Mix it up.

My grandmothers on the other hand… would have “different feelings.”

You say, “Mixed-race people make up a small proportion of the population,” I ask, where do you live? In Latin America most individuals are of mixed-race, white-amerindian and black, and of course they are represented in all strata of society. However I do agree that heterosis may make mixed-race individuals fitter and thus more attractive.

Undoubtedly symmetry is an important factor when considering the beauty of an individual face or body. It means health and youth, which are signals of reproductive fittness and thus of sexual atractiveness.

Interesting. It’s important when analyzing studies like this to understand the story behind the result. IMO, the story puts the result in context. Context aids in predicting a result, because, in most cases, people with the same story usually think the same. Story is shaped by frame of reference based on education and experience.

I said that to say this, it would be interesting to see the result of the study included additional stories.

Saying that mixed-race people are more prevalent in public celebrities is wrong. They are more noticable. For every biracial celebrity, theres a thousand who are not “biracial”. Also, I don’t think there is a human on earth who is not already biracial, or triracial. Humans have been mixing and mingling for our entire existance.

“Twenty white psychology students rated each face on its attractiveness on a 9-point scale (5 being of average attractiveness).”

This is why psychologists should not conduct quantitative research. This study is a crock. Absolute crock.

I agree with Eric and ibster.

How is race defined for this study? What variables were controlled for and how?

The declaration that “although mixed-race people make up a small proportion of the population, they are over-represented at the top level of a number of meritocratic professions like acting with Halle Berry, Formula 1 racing with Lewis Hamilton, and politics with Barack Obama” has so many research-related problems that it is almost slap-stick comical.

PROBLEMS
1. “Race” has not been defined so “mixed-race” is meaningless.
2. What constitutes “a small proportion”? Is it a number, a percentage, or what?
3. Is “the population” defined? – of the world through all of history, of the contemporary world, of a specific country(ies), or what?
4. How is over-represented defined? What is its meaning in relation to the other components in this “study”?
5. What constitutes “the top level”? It needs to be defined.
6. “a number of meritocratic professions”? How many? What are the “meritocratic professions”? By whose criteria were they selected? What are the criteria?
7. “acting”? Acting is multi-faceted.occupying many levels and different horizontal placement at those levels. What makes up the top level? What criteria are used? – major roles with an acclaimed Shakespearian company? top pay for a movie part? box office revenue? How many mixed-race actors are there – have there been – in relation to “pure-race” actors?
8. “Formula 1 racing”? Formula 1 racing is a much more finite profession. So, why aren’t the speifics given or at least foot-noted?
9. “politics”? If mixed-race persons were over-represented in politics, the media would not constantly draw attention to mixed-race politicians while categorizing them according to their minority race heritage.

I won’t go into the many other problems that make this article a sloppy attempt to tie dodgy social science to, but:
Heterosis has at least two sides – genetically as well as phenotypically – hybrid vigor is the form of heterosis used here, but outbreeding depression is another form of heterosis, and is the opposite result and a scientific reality.

The press fails to recognize that 90 percent of the time black males copulate with caucasian females, rather than vice versa. Why is that?

wow i look exactly like a boy version of the girl in the photo, i am biracial, black/white after all. But i really don’t notice the “more attractive part”. on the other hand i am a genius/geek, which would explain that

Genetic Enhancement = Mother Nature swirling her Palette of Colors. Being doing for millions of years all over the Planet. Ain’t nuthin’ one can do about it, no matter how many comments one makes. It’s Her Way of keeping Life Going to the Max.

Yes, this is so true. Get with the times people. Soon all the human race will be beautiful:)

This is my first time on this web site. I just read all of the comments on Bi-racial people that we have in this country and on the planet. Many years ago in the 80′s when I was in college, I wrote a final term paper, which was published in the college newspaper. One of my lines that I wrote was that as a teenager, I sometimes use to wish and sometimes I still do wish that ALL people in America were obviously Bi-racially mixed, as I believe this would help to erase racism and prejudice.

When I say mixed in an obvious way, I mean like Black and White, Black and Asian or Black and Hispanic or Asian and White or Hispanic and Asian or White. Although a child of Korean and Japanese or a child of Russian and French are mixed, but it is not clearly obvious.

Therefore I totally agree with this statement by initials of CJY.
[cjy
Apr 14, 2010 15:48
[I believe it. I’ve always thought the more mixing the better. Perhaps eventually it will erase racism.]

However, I totally disagree with the negative comment by the person that signed in as (Love My Mulattos)
Yes, this is so true. Get with the times people. Soon all the human race will be beautiful:)
The person sounds like he or she is two french fries short of a happy meal. Writing a statement that says ” Soon all the human race will be beautiful” is like saying that all non mixed people are ugly or unattractive. Let’s keep in mind that our Infinite Creator, the Holy Spirit of God does NOT make junk or ugly things.

In closing, every person that is involved in an interracial love relationship or if the person is mixed raced should claim all of their heritage (especially if they are African American/Black) and not just settle for being called Black only. We need to erase that ugly racist phrase of “1 Drop of Black blood” rule.

Second, we should all support the two best websites on the planet: http://www.lovingday.org and http://www.mixedandhappy.com

Peace & Blessings,
Kato
Miami (Little Cuba) Florida

For all you hetrosexual (men/women) interracial lovers in America and around the world, Your children, when you have them will have the best of both worlds because 9 out of 10 mix children are natuarally good looking with a perfect skin complexion, (not to black/not to white).

For all the racist haters in the world, just remember that when a black person and a white or Asian or Latino get together in bed and make a child, that child is going to be more beautiful than if it was just one race. One race people are good looking too, but biracial is more beautiful. Just look at Alicia Keys, Halle Berry,
t.v stars, Boris Kodjo and Gugu Mbatha-Raw (t.v series “Undercovers” on NBC), Shamar Moore to name just a few. So bottom line is that if adults want good lookng kids, you better mix it up and interracially mix and marry. God does not have a problem with it, so why should you. Look at who Moses married in the Bible.

I hate when people use music, movie and tv stars to justify that biracial people or any group of people are more attractive/better than others. That is such a fallacy given that those individuals were picked out from the crowd because they are good looking people, not because they are biracial. In other words, for every Alicia Keys and Halle Berry there are many biracial girls that look NOTHING like them. I’ve seen plenty of unattractive biracial people to dispprove this claim. The media chooses who it wants to highlight and who it doesn’t. There are plenty of equally attractive and talented people who are not biracial. They just don’t get the same attention. Using those two women as representatives for an entire group is a fallacy because the entertainment industry usually hand picks the most attractive individuals it can find period regardless of race or ethnicity.

In the game of genetics, there is no way to conclusively determine that offspring will have certain features. So all those who are saying that biracial offspring will receive the “best of both worlds” (whatever that is supposed to mean) are wrong. Chances are, your child will NOT come out looking like Halle Berry or Boris Kudjo especially if you or your mate are not that attractive to begin with. Facial/Body symmetry, talent, and intelligence are NOT racially exclusive so stop perpetuating the racist lie that it is.

Nature is a wild artist that loves mixing it up, the more colors to choose from – the better. I deem those who feel that biracial or multiracial are no more attractive than mono racial – feel somewhat left out. Well don’t ! The Planet Intelligence has been mixing and matching for billions of years – that IS the game of genertics – so the gene pool stays strong and we as a HUMAN race survive. The fact that more and more people are finding people of blended heritage more attractive is a signal from Nature – like all Her Signals – flowers, honey , birds, bees, fruit… keep it coming…make it pretty and sweet.

Well said Jean

Maybe this is the wrong place for this, but my vote for the country with the most handsome men is the Dominican Republic. Their looks blend Spanish, African and perhaps American Indian into the most amazing features. (PS: I’m not from the Dominican Republic, and I’ve visited almost 20 countries.)

@JW and those who think similar–

Let me guess. Youre a liberal, with a bleeding heart no doubt. Let me break it down for you.. Youre an idiot. This is pretty much what youre saying: “Mixed people are beautiful. Non-mixed can be, but arent anywhere near as beautiful. God wants us all to mix despite making separate races. If you dont mix, youre child is not going to be as attractive as it could.” God doesnt say SHIT about race mixing. Seeing as how Im not religious, I have an objective few of religion. Ive never read anything about God promoting race mixing in the Bible. Dont use it to justify your opinions. Ive seen many mixed children with, what Ive been told are, attractive parents that have grown up to be completely unattractive. Its all chance, and you cant predict how attractive someone will be based on “two races mixing.” Plus, I find Brad Pitt and Scarlett Johansson excellent reasons why race mixing doesnt make better looking babies. Inb4 racist, close-minded (Im more open-minded than most), republican (Im more of a libertarian), and any personal attack or ad hominem
@Jean and others who think similar–
Just stop, please. For your own sake. If people see on TV and in ads that the norm is biracial couples and that theyre happy, people are going to accept that as the norm and strive to do that because they think it will make them happy. This whole interracial fad, and it is a fad, is just the newest thing in political correctness. It has nothing to do with Mother Nature, Darwinism, or bettering the gene pool. Studies TIME AND TIME AGAIN have proven that blacks have lower IQs than whites, and whites lower than asians. So mixing actually averages us all out, aka makes us BORING. If the whole world becomes mixed, everyone will be the same. Everyone will be moderately attractive to moderately unattractive. Rarely will one be extravagantly more attractive or unattractive. Light hair and eyes will become a rarity, if even existent, as will light, as well as dark, skin. Everyone will have a mediumish tan with brown eyes and black or dark brown hair. The people with lighter eyes, hair, and skin will either be considered more beautiful or hated. No one will be extravagantly stronger or weaker, intelligent or unintelligent, creative or uncreative, faster or slower, and so on and so forth. Anything you can do, everyone you point at can do just as well on average. And people will still find a reason to hate each other. This is human nature, and we cant escape it.

Instead of worrying about something so minor as our childrens looks, lets worry about our childrens futures. Lets worry about the rights that our governments are slowly taking away. Oh, our children may not have clean water, good work, or something to look forward to when the grow up, but at least theyll be good-looking and mixed! I love beauty as much as the next guy, but come on people, instead of finding out what people think about others, do something useful.

To the “Sane Man” – separate vials of DNA (what some call races) are needed in Mother Nature’s Lab. This way, when things get to being too much the same – she can shake those traits up by mixing them with various other family members of the species. It’s not so much the DNA mixing with other separate but equal DNA that makes these brothers and sisters beautiful – it’s the LOVE – and if you invert LOVE you get EVOL – it’s all part of EVOLUTION – forward motion – Mother Nature’s way of moving us forward. Don’t think it’s the first time it’s been done on the planet either…

It’s completely scientific-It’s a survey. It’s also fascinating personally, and it makes sense.

I am biracial( african american and german) and i think we’re only more attractive in the fact that I don’t have to get in the tanning bed to have a tan, my hair will always hold a curl, and I have really good skin. But I mean attractiveness is more than just skin color.

stop stereotyping paleeezzz i have seen lots of ugly biracial people and also so call pure race people………..this is just another form of racism.

I am Brazilian, my mother is black and dad is white.
Mixed race and I see as a gift from God, a beautiful mix, the only pride they have is to see that it just shows the union of different race. I love myself.

I am 29f, 5’6″, 110 lbs, biracial (irish, black). My skin is fair, my eyes are green, and my hair is dark, long and extremily nappy. I guess all that makes me “unique” looking. Always a lot of eyes on me. Maybe I look like an alien, but that’s not the vibe I get from most men. A beautiful blonde once told me that I was too pretty to be liked. The biracial experience can be complex if not kept in perspective. B/r children should be raised by loving parents who helps them to learn to love their uniqueness, as many of us don’t fully fit into any one group, and have problems often with blacks, when our features are very white and skin very light.

Self-hating morons.