The physical attractiveness of 25 pairs of monozygotic (MZ) twins was rated independently for twins A and B. The MZ twins were rated alike in their physical attractiveness (
r=0.54; corrected for attenuation,
r=0.94). Physical attractiveness was uncorrelated with verbal intelligence but was associated, controlling statistically for the sex difference in attractiveness favoring females, with three of the eight traits in the Comrey inventory: Conformity, Extraversion, and Emotional Stability. In both sexes, greater emotional stability was associated with attractiveness; in males greater extraversion; and in females, greater conformity. When these twin correlations were adjusted for this association with attractiveness, the mean change in the value of
r was only 0.03, indicating that physical attractiveness does not appear to bias conclusions from twin studies.
Key Words inheritance - twin method - physical attractiveness
This work was supported by a grant from the Research Council of the University of Oklahoma. We thank the twins who gave freely of their time to take part in this study and the anonymous reviewers who made helpful comments on an early draft of the manuscript.