<p>In the general population there does seem to be a positive correlation between psychometrically measured intelligence and observer rated attractiveness (Kanazawa, 2011). The power of the relationship seems to be medium to low.</p>

<p>Two possible explanations for this relationship are:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Intelligence and physical attractiveness both depend on physical health; meaning that people who grow up unhealthily tend to be less attractive and less intelligent.</p></li>
<li><p>The genes for intelligence and physical attractiveness became collocated over time as more attractive people tend to mate with more intelligent people.</p></li>
</ol>

<p><strong>References</strong></p>

<p>Kanazawa, Satoshi. <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2010.11.003">Intelligence and physical attractiveness</a>. Intelligence 39.1 (2011): 7-14. (<a href="http://personal.lse.ac.uk/Kanazawa/pdfs/I2011.pdf">free pdf here</a>)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-17T12:53:18.257Z
I'm sure I've raised this on this site before, but Satoshi Kanazawa's work is hugely controversial, including accusations of [racism](http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2011/05/23/the-data-are-in-regarding-satoshi-kanazawa/), [statistical mispractice](http://www.stat.columbia.edu/~gelman/research/published/kanazawa.pdf), and even [not understanding what a correlation is](http://bigthink.com/neurobonkers/the-bad-science-of-satoshi-kanazawa).
Eoin
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-17T12:54:07.903Z
(*Continuation...*) This isn't the place to discuss his career, but I think users should be wary of blindly accepting his findings at face value. Added bonus critique [here](https://hardsci.wordpress.com/2011/05/17/so-we-all-agree-satoshi-kanazawa-is-a-bad-scientist-what-next/)
Eoin
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-17T12:57:39.470Z
See also [Jeromy Anglim's](http://cogsci.stackexchange.com/a/4061/4124) discussion of the same paper on this site a while ago.
Eoin
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-05-17T13:43:05.430Z
And by the same author: [Why beautiful people are more intelligent](http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2004.03.003) ([free pdf](http://myweb.scu.edu.tw/~hltao/Supplement/Ch10/10.3.2AWhy%20beautiful%20people%20are%20more%20intelligent%20(Kanazawa%202004%20Intelligence).pdf)). And as a side note, [slides of my friend](http://offtopicarium.wdfiles.com/local--files/v2:program/beauty.pdf) on that topic. There are also some links to paper investigating the *beauty-symmetry* relationship.
Piotr Migdal
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-05-18T17:37:22.887Z
That's my hypothesis: if you're more intelligent, you can make more money, and land a more attractive mate, and have more attractive (and intelligent) children...
Josh
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-09-27T23:17:17.717Z
It's called selective mating. Intelligence and beauty are both forms of "excellence" that attract each other even if they aren't the same.
Tom Au
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-05-15T22:48:56.043Z
2013-05-17T13:41:08.503Z
2013-05-17T13:41:08.503Z
JackJackson
<p>The correlation between physical attractiveness and IQ is somewhere between <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/buy/1992-19831-001" rel="nofollow noreferrer">insignificant</a> and <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160289610001315" rel="nofollow noreferrer">mildly positive</a>, with a slightly higher correlation for men.  The correlation between physical attractiveness and <em>perceived</em> intelligence is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halo_effect#Academics_and_intelligence" rel="nofollow noreferrer">more significant</a>.</p>

<p>There are typically two approaches to explain the (albeit mild) correlation:</p>

<p>Nature: From an evolutionary psychology perspective, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2004.03.003" rel="nofollow noreferrer">one theory</a> is that intelligent men are (on average) somewhat more successful, mate with more physically attractive women, resulting in offspring that are both more intelligent and more attractive than average.  Evidence does support these assertions.</p>

<p>Nurture: However, there is an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_attractiveness_stereotype" rel="nofollow noreferrer">alternative explanation</a> that accounts for these findings as an environmental (rather than hereditary) effect due to a self-fulfilling prophecy.  According to this hypothesis, attractive children are perceived as more intelligent, resulting in more and better opportunities for them, that lead to <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/2787149?seq=1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">better education</a>, living standards, and ultimately higher intelligence.</p>

<p>The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heritability_of_IQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer">heritability of IQ</a>, based on twin studies for example, is under some dispute, but suggests that both nature and nurture are significant factors, making both approaches equally valid.  The debate may be resolved by examining cultures that don't associate physical attractiveness with intelligence (Eastern), but unfortunately, most of the research has focused on cultures that do (Western).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-15T08:48:47.793Z
I was going to mention the halo effect, but I believe your answer is probably better. A friend of mine once put it this way: "I'm attracted to intelligent people, so I tend to perceive attractive people as being more intelligent."
lea
CC BY-SA 4.0
2014-12-13T19:29:51.463Z
2018-05-21T05:58:39.367Z
2018-05-21T05:58:39.367Z
Arnon Weinberg
<p>Recently, I read several interesting questions on the web about the relationship between IQ and general intelligence and physiological symmetry. But more importantly, what explains the correlation? Or is it even true? Because many of the world's foremost thinkers, such as Plato, and Sartre, were ugly.</p>

<ul>
<li><strong>Is there really a relationship between beauty (physiological symmetry) and intelligence?</strong></li>
<li><strong>And if so, does physiological symmetry cause high intelligence?</strong></li>
</ul>

<intelligence><evolution><physical-attraction>
How is intelligence correlated to beauty?
Yuruk
# How is intelligence correlated to beauty?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-05-15)

Recently, I read several interesting questions on the web about the relationship between IQ and general intelligence and physiological symmetry. But more importantly, what explains the correlation? Or is it even true? Because many of the world's foremost thinkers, such as Plato, and Sartre, were ugly.

* **Is there really a relationship between beauty (physiological symmetry) and intelligence?**
* **And if so, does physiological symmetry cause high intelligence?**

**Tags:** intelligence, evolution, physical-attraction


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2013-05-15. Score: 24

In the general population there does seem to be a positive correlation between psychometrically measured intelligence and observer rated attractiveness (Kanazawa, 2011). The power of the relationship seems to be medium to low.

Two possible explanations for this relationship are:

1. Intelligence and physical attractiveness both depend on physical health; meaning that people who grow up unhealthily tend to be less attractive and less intelligent.
2. The genes for intelligence and physical attractiveness became collocated over time as more attractive people tend to mate with more intelligent people.

**References**

Kanazawa, Satoshi. [Intelligence and physical attractiveness](http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2010.11.003). Intelligence 39.1 (2011): 7-14. ([free pdf here](http://personal.lse.ac.uk/Kanazawa/pdfs/I2011.pdf))

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: And by the same author: [Why beautiful people are more intelligent](http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2004.03.003) ([free pdf](http://myweb.scu.edu.tw/~hltao/Supplement/Ch10/10.3.2AWhy%20beautiful%20people%20are%20more%20intelligent%20(Kanazawa%202004%20Intelligence).pdf)). And as a side note, [slides of my friend](http://offtopicarium.wdfiles.com/local--files/v2:program/beauty.pdf) on that topic. There are also some links to paper investigating the *beauty-symmetry* relationship.  
> **username_4**: That's my hypothesis: if you're more intelligent, you can make more money, and land a more attractive mate, and have more attractive (and intelligent) children...  
> **username_5**: It's called selective mating. Intelligence and beauty are both forms of "excellence" that attract each other even if they aren't the same.  
> **username_2**: I'm sure I've raised this on this site before, but Satoshi Kanazawa's work is hugely controversial, including accusations of [racism](http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2011/05/23/the-data-are-in-regarding-satoshi-kanazawa/), [statistical mispractice](http://www.stat.columbia.edu/~gelman/research/published/kanazawa.pdf), and even [not understanding what a correlation is](http://bigthink.com/neurobonkers/the-bad-science-of-satoshi-kanazawa).  
> **username_2**: (*Continuation...*) This isn't the place to discuss his career, but I think users should be wary of blindly accepting his findings at face value. Added bonus critique [here](https://hardsci.wordpress.com/2011/05/17/so-we-all-agree-satoshi-kanazawa-is-a-bad-scientist-what-next/)  
> **username_2**: See also [Jeromy Anglim's](http://cogsci.stackexchange.com/a/4061/4124) discussion of the same paper on this site a while ago.  

---

### Answer by username_6 on 2014-12-13. Score: 7

The correlation between physical attractiveness and IQ is somewhere between [insignificant](http://psycnet.apa.org/buy/1992-19831-001) and [mildly positive](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160289610001315), with a slightly higher correlation for men. The correlation between physical attractiveness and *perceived* intelligence is [more significant](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halo_effect#Academics_and_intelligence).

There are typically two approaches to explain the (albeit mild) correlation:

Nature: From an evolutionary psychology perspective, [one theory](http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2004.03.003) is that intelligent men are (on average) somewhat more successful, mate with more physically attractive women, resulting in offspring that are both more intelligent and more attractive than average. Evidence does support these assertions.

Nurture: However, there is an [alternative explanation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_attractiveness_stereotype) that accounts for these findings as an environmental (rather than hereditary) effect due to a self-fulfilling prophecy. According to this hypothesis, attractive children are perceived as more intelligent, resulting in more and better opportunities for them, that username_7d to [better education](https://www.jstor.org/stable/2787149?seq=1), living standards, and ultimately higher intelligence.

The [heritability of IQ](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heritability_of_IQ), based on twin studies for example, is under some dispute, but suggests that both nature and nurture are significant factors, making both approaches equally valid. The debate may be resolved by examining cultures that don't associate physical attractiveness with intelligence (Eastern), but unfortunately, most of the research has focused on cultures that do (Western).

> **Comments:**
> **username_7**: I was going to mention the halo effect, but I believe your answer is probably better. A friend of mine once put it this way: "I'm attracted to intelligent people, so I tend to perceive attractive people as being more intelligent."  

---

