Maxims or myths of beauty? A meta-analytic and theoretical review.
Langlois and colleagues tested common maxims about beauty against evolutionary and socialisation theories by drawing together eleven meta-analyses. They report that raters agree about who is attractive, including across cultures; that attractive children and adults are judged and treated more positively than unattractive ones, even by people who know them; and that attractive people show more positive behaviours and traits. The authors conclude that the results can be used to evaluate the social and evolutionary theories and the accuracy of the maxims.
Langlois and colleagues tested common maxims about beauty against evolutionary and socialisation theories by drawing together eleven meta-analyses. They report that raters agree about who is attractive, including across cultures; that attractive children and adults are judged and treated more positively than unattractive ones, even by people who know them; and that attractive people show more positive behaviours and traits. The authors conclude that the results can be used to evaluate the social and evolutionary theories and the accuracy of the maxims.
Written from the abstract read 2026-10-27 via OpenAlex.
What our sources record
Recorded when this source was checked, figures included, with page references and quotation marks removed.
Langlois, J. H., Kalakanis, L., Rubenstein, A. J., Larson, A., Hallam, M., & Smoot, M. (2000). Maxims or myths of beauty? A meta-analytic and theoretical review. Psychological Bulletin, 126(3), 390-423.