Attractive men and women are cleverer: Study

London, Jan 17 (ANI): UK researchers have found that handsome men and beautiful women tend to be cleverer.

The findings, based on studies in Britain and the US, dispel the myth of the dumb blondes or good-looking men not being very bright.

Instead, it appears that those already physically blessed attract partners who are not just good-looking, but also intelligent, reports the Daily Mail.

The research, by the London School of Economics, also suggested that the children of these couples would end up with both qualities, building a genetic link over successive generations between them.

"Physical attractiveness is significantly positively associated with general intelligence, both with and without controls for social class, body size and health," said lead researcher Satoshi Kanazawa, who carried out the study.

"The association between attractiveness and general intelligence is also stronger among men than among women," he added.

The study found that, in Britain, men who were physically attractive had IQs an average 13.6 points above the norm, whereas physically attractive women were about 11.4 points higher than average.

Kanazawa's British findings were based on the National Child Development Study, which followed 17,419 people across the country since they were born in March 1958.

The US date was taken from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, which involved a similar study of 35,000 young Americans.

The results were arrived at based on their academic progress and intelligence, as well as their appearance.

"Our contention that beautiful people are more intelligent is purely scientific. It is not a prescription for how to treat or judge others," said Kanazawa.The study is published in the academic journal Intelligence. (ANI)