University of Toronto study links facial features to social class

A study conducted by the University of Toronto has revealed that individuals' financial prosperity can be perceived through facial expressions. The research, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, utilized 80 portraits of men and 80 portraits of women in black-and-white with neutral expressions, consisting of 50% wealthy individuals and 50% working-class subjects.

Participants were able to correctly identify the social class of the subjects in 68% of cases, often relying on specific features such as the eyes and mouth. Researchers noted that wealthy individuals tended to have faces that appeared happier and less anxious, whereas those in the working class appeared more stressed.

Researcher Nicholas O. Rule highlighted potential negative consequences of this phenomenon, suggesting that facial-based perceptions of social class could contribute to the cycle of poverty by influencing how people are treated based on their perceived status.