A Woman’s Face Is Easy to Read, Survey Shows

It has often been said that women wear their heart on their sleeve and, to some extent, it is true. A new study performed in the UK comes to show that, when it boils down to expressing emotions or even giving away certain defining traits of their character, females rank higher than men, in that their face is easier to read and interpret by others.

As such, three thirds of people can unmistakably spot particular character traits just by looking at a woman’s face. Males, on the other hand, are much harder to read, in that people have troubles determining whether one is lucky, trustworthy, or kind-hearted, the same study has revealed. This could be connected either with men’s inability to express their feelings, or with their unwillingness to show them.

“It’s possible that female faces are more informative and expressive in some way than male ones.” fellow researcher Professor Richard Wiseman of Hertfordshire University told the media about the findings of the latest research. “They may be more open, so it becomes easier to read their personality. What is interesting is there was no difference between the male and female observers in reading people’s faces.” Wiseman further explained.

Almost 6,500 volunteers took part in the study. They were shown composite pictures of men and women faces, rated as lucky, religious, humorous or trustworthy, with both genders being more able to read female faces than male ones. However, how a person appeared to others might also be the result of genetics, researchers maintained, as well as the environment itself.

“We know that genes shape the brain and how it works and that they also shape our appearance. It’s possible that the same genes might shape both things. But there’s also a social angle. It could be that people come to behave in a way that fits their appearance.” researcher Dr. Rob Jenkins, a psychologist at Glasgow University, pointed out.