Latest news with #Perception
New York Post
3 days ago
- Health
- New York Post
Botox may increase your face value — but you're better off trying this move that doesn't cost a cent, scientists say
Dolly Parton was right. Botox may increase face value for a growing number of Americans, including celebs like Nicole Kidman and Meghan Trainor — but when it comes to making yourself desirable to a prospective partner, researchers say smiling can be even more effective. New research suggests that the popular cosmetic injections do increase users' curb appeal — but when respondents in a survey were asked to rate an array of strange faces, those with upturned lips beat those who merely plumped them up. 4 The research found that smiling could be more effective at enhancing visual appeal than filler injections (pictured). Stasique – Scientists at Tilburg University in The Netherlands also reported that Botox users were likely to be seen as one-night stand prospects — and that getting the costly jabs weren't necessarily useful to those hoping to be taken more seriously as viable life partners. The illusion-shattering findings, published in the journal 'Perception,' come amid a worldwide uptick in Botox usage. Usage of the injectable 'tweakment' has become so frequent that people are actually developing an immunity. Researchers set out to test if people who undergo Botox and other filler treatments are perceived 'more positively by others,' per study co-author Dr. Bastian Jaeger, who claimed that 'existing research on the effectiveness of these treatments is not very strong.' To see if it's worth literally putting one's money where their mouth is, the scientists followed 114 participants who underwent Botox and dermal filler treatments, the Times Of London reported. 4 Study authors found that while Botox can make you more attractive as a mate, it won't necessarily get you to happily ever after any faster. Vasyl – They then asked around 3,000 people to rate their before and after pics on a 7-point attractiveness scale. After reviewing said snaps, which were shot carefully to keep the lighting, expression and other factors consistent across the pics, participants overwhelmingly found that Botox does indeed boost people's visual appeal. 'This difference was rather small: a 0.07-point change in our 7-point attractiveness scale on average,' explained Dr. Jaeger per the Daily Mail. 'This means that on average, a person who was rated a 4 out of 7 on attractiveness before the treatment might be rated a 4.07 out of 7 after treatment.' 4 Participants were asked to evaluate the before-and-after pics of Botox recipients. Sage Journals There was also an increase of 0.13 with regards to how youthful the participants were thought of. However, this paled in comparison to another, less expensive way of enhancing one's attractiveness: smiling. Researchers found that turning one's frown upside down — and not cosmetically — caused one's so-called hotness to soar by 0.4 points, six times more than Botox. 4 'We did not see any benefits of treatment on how competent, intelligent, charismatic, friendly or trustworthy people were perceived to be,' said Jaeger. Drobot Dean – Meanwhile, applying makeup gave people's perceived looks a boost of 0.6 points compared to the filler treatment, which starts at around $300 for a simple forehead injection and involves obstructing nerve signals to muscles, relaxing them and curbing wrinkles. There was another major caveat to alleged Botox-enhanced hotness. While the aesthetic accelerant increased people's desirability as a short-term fling prospect and as a platonic pal — a rise of 0.09 in both categories — there was no statistical improvement in how they were seen as long-term partners. It's unclear why Botox didn't up people's image as soulmate material, but scientists noted that the jabs had no effect on the perception of character traits either. 'We did not see any benefits of treatment on how competent, intelligent, charismatic, friendly or trustworthy people were perceived to be,' said Jaeger. Interestingly, while small amounts of botox did not significantly enhance physical appeal, many people report that, 'after treatment, they find it easier to make friends and that they make a better impression on others,' per Jaeger. Dr. Jaeger attributed this phenomenon to a placebo effect of sorts. 'It is plausible that people have more success socially, not because they look different and people treat them differently, but because they think they do and act more confidently around others (sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy),' he said.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Study finds deceptively simple solution to attractiveness beats botox
Botox promises smoother, wrinkle free skin and a fresher face, but researchers have found there is a much cheaper option if looking more attractive is the aim - simply smiling. Researchers found injectable treatments such as dermal fillers and Botox boosted the participants perceived attractiveness by 0.07 points on a seven points scale. That means if someone was rated a four out of seven on attractiveness before the treatment might have been rated a 4.07 out of seven afterwards. However, there were far simpler methods that did not involve a needle that reaped even greater rewards. Simply smiling rather than sitting with a blank expression improved perceived attractiveness by about 0.4 points out of seven – that's six times greater than the effects of Botox. Make-up also offered an even greater attractiveness boost of about 0.6 points. Botox is the brand name for botulinum toxin an injectable prescription medication that's used to temporarily block nerve signals to muscles causing them to relax, and as a result, smooth out wrinkles. But prices for the treatment start at around £300- making make-up a far cheaper option if you are looking to make yourself appear more attractive. The study, conducted by researchers in the Netherlands and published in the journal Perception, followed 114 people who underwent Botox and dermal filler treatments. More than 3,000 judges marked their changes in appearance from before and after photographs. They judged attractiveness and other character traits including how intelligent they were, charismatic, healthy, friendly or trustworthy just from looks. Although Botox did not boost a person's perceived intelligence or health, it did boost how youthful people were perceived to be by 0.13 points. There was also a small but statistically significant boost of 0.09 points for how desirable people were seen to be for a short romantic fling. Similarly, Botox gave a 0.09-point increase for platonic likability. But when it came to how desirable people were perceived to be as a potential long-term partner there was no statistically significant improvement. 'Our results suggest that a single session of minimally invasive facial aesthetic treatment leads to more positive perceptions on dimensions related to attractiveness, but these effects are relatively small,' study authors said. But researchers also suggested that people seek out treatments such as Botox to 'improve feelings of self-worth, confidence, and happiness' rather than their attractiveness. Bastian Jaeger of Tilburg University, who led the research told the Times: 'It is plausible that people have more success socially, not because they look different and people treat them differently, but because they think they do and act more confidently around others — a sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy.'
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
What is the 'Qatargate' scandal roiling Israel?
Israel has been gripped by allegations linking aides of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to financing from Qatar, which hosts Hamas leaders and helped broker the release of hostages from Gaza. Dubbed "Qatargate" by Israeli media, the reports that sparked the investigation claimed that some of the people closest to Netanyahu were recruited to promote the image of Qatar, an enemy state, in Israel. - What do we know? - At least two of Netanyahu's aides are suspected of receiving payments from the Qatari government to promote Doha's interests in Israel. With the investigation ongoing, some details in the investigation remain unclear. Allegations of ties between members of Netanyahu's close circle and the Qatari government have swirled in the Israeli press since mid-2024. The affair ramped up Monday when two aides, one current and one former, were arrested and Netanyahu was called in for questioning in a probe he slammed as a "political witch hunt". Though the Israeli leader is not a suspect, he is separately on trial over corruption and breach of trust allegations. "They are holding Yonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein hostage," Netanyahu said in an angry video post after being questioned. An Israeli court on Tuesday extended the detention of the two aides for an additional three days, until Thursday. Qatari officials did not immediately respond for comment when contacted by AFP. - Who are the suspects? - Yonatan Urich, who has been working closely with Netanyahu for most of the past decade, started out as the social media manager for the prime minister's Likud party. Urich also co-owns a media consulting firm called Perception with Yisrael Einhorn, who has also worked with Netanyahu. It is not the first time influential Israeli figures have been accused of receiving payments from Qatar. According to Israeli media reports, Perception was reportedly hired to improve Qatar's image ahead of the 2022 World Cup, though Urich and the firm denied the claims at the time. Eli Feldstein is already under investigation for leaking classified documents to journalists during the short time he worked unofficially as the prime minister's military affairs spokesman. According to reports, Netanyahu was seeking to offer Feldstein a more permanent role but after failing to receive the necessary security clearance, he remained an external contractor. Last month, an investigation by Israel's Channel 12 alleged that while working for Netanyahu, Feldstein received a salary from Jay Footlik, a known US lobbyist for Qatar. Further reports on Monday said that Feldstein promoted Qatar to Israeli journalists and arranged trips for them to Doha. Footlik owns a consulting firm, Third Circle Inc., registered under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) as working for Qatar. An Israeli court on Tuesday said suspicions were related to Third Circle and funds aimed at "projecting a positive image of Qatar" in relation to its role as a mediator for a truce and hostage release agreement in Gaza. A final name that has been linked to the affair is Israeli businessman Gil Birger, who this month told Israel's state broadcaster that he had been asked by Footlik to pay Feldstein through his company. - What's the significance? - Jonathan Rynhold, head of political studies at Bar-Ilan University, told AFP that the affair "ties all bad things relating to Netanyahu together in one package." "This links Netanyahu directly to the policy of appeasing Hamas," Rynhold said, referring to Israel allowing Qatar to send millions of dollars in cash into Gaza that many now believe strengthened Hamas and enabled it to conduct its October 7, 2023 attack. Qatar has previously rejected the claims as false, saying they were driven by internal Israeli politics. Still, the affair has piled more pressure on Netanyahu, who has clashed with the judiciary over his bid to sack Ronen Bar, the head of the Shin Bet domestic security agency. Bar's relationship with the Netanyahu government soured after he blamed the executive for the security fiasco of Hamas's October 2023 attack, and crucially, following a Shin Bet probe into Qatargate. - What next for Netanyahu? - It is unclear how Netanyahu will manage the fallout from the affair. "It is too early to say how it will develop," said Professor Gideon Rahat of the Hebrew University. "Will he need to sacrifice these two people? If he sacrifices them, will they open their mouths?" Rahat said. For now, he is fighting back and "framing it as though the secret service is after him because he wants to kick out the head of the secret service", Rahat added. "In a normal country, if the prime minister had spies in his office, he would resign, but we are not in normal times." reg/acc/ser
