If you exhibit positive traits such as honesty and helpfulness, the chances are that you will perceived as a good looking person, for a new study has found that the perception of physical attractiveness is influenced by a person's personality.

The study, led by Gary W. Lewandowski, Jr, found that people who exhibit negative traits, such as unfairness and rudeness, appear to be less physically attractive to observers.

In the study, the participants viewed photographs of opposite-sex individuals and rated them for attractiveness before and after being provided with information on personality traits.

After personality information was received, participants also rated the desirability of each individual as a friend and as a dating partner.

Information on personality was found to significantly alter perceived desirability, showing that cognitive processes and expectations modify judgments of attractiveness.

"Perceiving a person as having a desirable personality makes the person more suitable in general as a close relationship partner of any kind," said Lewandowski.

The findings show that a positive personality leads to greater desirability as a friend, which leads to greater desirability as a romantic partner and, ultimately, to being viewed as more physically attractive.

The findings remained consistent regardless of how "attractive" the individual was initially perceived to be, or of the participants' current relationship status or commitment level with a partner.

The study simulates a more typical context in which seeing the person's appearance precedes learning about their personality, and shows that perceptions of a person's physical attractiveness may change over time due to their positive or negative traits.

"This research provides a more positive alternative by reminding people that personality goes a long way toward determining your attractiveness; it can even change people's impressions of how good looking you are," said Lewandowski.

研究发现，一个人的性格会影响他的外表的吸引力，所以如果你展示自己诸如诚实和乐于助人这些正面的品质，别人就很有可能觉得你是一个相貌好看的人。

由Gary W. Lewandowski,发起的这项研究发现，如果一个人表现出诸如狭隘偏激和粗暴这类负面的品质，他们的外表对观察者的吸引力就会较小。

研究中，参加者们观察异性的照片，让他们在知道对方的性格特征之前和之后，分别去评价其吸引力。

在了解对方的性格之后，让参与者仍然将对方作为朋友或者约会伙伴的角度来考虑，看中意程度任何。

在获悉对方性格之后，参与者对对方的满意程度有很大的改变。这表明，认知过程与期望能改变一个人对别人外表的喜欢程度。

“如果感觉到这个人有很好的性格品质，人们通常会乐意与他成为各种关系的亲密伙伴。” Lewandowski说。

研究表明，人们更原意与一个有良好品质的人成为朋友——那种能够很容易地过渡为情人的朋友，总之，这就叫外表上更具魅力！

不管参与者最初对对方的感觉如何，或者说不管对方目前在参与者心中的地位和获得的评价是怎样的，这项研究的结果都能够成立。

研究模拟了一个更加典型的语境。在这个更加典型的语境里，让参与者在了解性格之前先看对方的外貌，结果显示一个人的正面或者负面的性格品质可以永远的改变他的外在魅力。

这项研究可以引导人们的性格朝正面去发展，因为它提醒人们，你的性格可以长期的影响你的外在吸引力，它甚至能让人们感觉你相貌姣好。