Have you ever noticed that your perky next-door neighbor with long flowing locks looks a lot like her sprightly long-haired dachshund? To a growing number of scientists, it’s more than canine coincidence. One Venezuelan study of facial photographs shows more resemblance between owner-pet pairs than pairs that were randomly matched. Another study from the University of California at San Diego found that, when shown separate photos of pets and owners, subjects could often link them (but only if the dogs were purebreds). Both studies suggest the same psychological mechanisms are at work when we pick mates who resemble us. People tend to be comforted by faces that match the one they see in the mirror. That trust factor extends to the animal kingdom, too. –Katie Brophy
Source: Ladies’ Home Journal, September 2007
Filed under: happiness
