Less attractive friends might help your rating

Uglier friends might make you more attractive, according to a research published last in the journal Psychological Science.

Researchers from Royal Holloway University of London found that an averagely attractive face surrounded by undesirable faces becomes more appealing than when the face is by itself.

Nicholas Furl, author of the study, said in a news release from Royal Holloway that the study counters the popular view of attractiveness as being fixed.

“Until now, it’s been understood that a person’s level of attractiveness is generally steady,” Furl said in the statement. “If you saw a picture of George Clooney today, you would rate him as good-looking as you would tomorrow. However, this work demonstrates that the company we keep has an effect on how attractive we appear to others.”

Here’s how the study worked: participants rated the attractiveness of different faces in pictures – one by one. Then, participants rated the same faces alongside faces perceived as less desirable. The attractiveness increased in the second round.

This story was originally published October 4, 2016 at 8:13 AM with the headline "Less attractive friends might help your rating."