Research shows that women who get on well with their fathers tend to marry men with similar facial characteristics. But those who had difficult relationships with their fathers tend to choose men with very different looks.Researcher Dr Lynda Boothroyd said: "These results show for certain that the quality of a daughter's relationship with her father has an impact on who she finds attractive.
"It shows our brains don't simply build prototypes of the ideal face based on those we see around us, rather we build them based on those to whom we have a strongly positive relationship.
"We can now say that daughters who have very positive childhood relationships with their fathers choose men with similar facial characteristics to their father."
But those who did not have happy childhood memories of their fathers chose men who looked very different.
Previous studies have shown the phenomenon is not restricted to daddy's girls, with mummy's boys actively seeking out women who look like their mothers.
The phenomenon, known as sexual imprinting, may have evolved to help youngsters choose a compatible mate.
By modeling their own choice of mate on their parents' successful marriage, a daddy's girl or mummy's boy may increase their own chances of having a happy partnership.
In addition, they may believe that a man who looks like their father or a woman who looks like their mother is more likely to be a good parent.
The same thinking could lead to those with bad childhood memories actively avoiding hooking up with a partner who reminds them of one of their parents, the journal Evolution and Human Behavior reported.
More examples like the one pictured above can be found after the jump.
Link & Image: DailyMail
Tags: Psychology | Behaviour
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