For years, psychologists have been intrigued by a question: do couples begin to look more alike as they stay together, or do they choose partners who already resemble them? This concept of "couple resemblance" has been around since the 1980s when scientists first noticed that long-term couples seemed to share more physical similarities than expected. However, despite this observation, no definitive scientific conclusion has been reached on the matter.
In a 1987 study, the late psychologist Robert Zajonc from the University of Michigan conducted an experiment where participants were asked to rank the photos of several couples. Zajonc concluded that, as couples married, their faces appeared to grow more similar, and this resemblance was more pronounced in couples with happier marriages. Psychologists believe that shared life experiences, such as diet, lifestyle, outdoor activities, and even facial wrinkles from smiling, could shape the way couples’ faces evolve over time.
Now, a team of researchers from Stanford University has used advanced technology to investigate the issue further. After analyzing thousands of public photos of couples, they concluded that there is no conclusive evidence suggesting that couples’ faces become more similar as they grow older. However, when compared to couples in the early stages of dating, married couples tend to appear more alike.
The researchers gathered 517 pairs of couples, collecting photos taken within two years of them starting their relationship and after 20 to 69 years of marriage. To test whether couples' faces change over time, they showed volunteers a "target photo" of one person and then presented them with six additional photos—one of which was of the target person's spouse, and the other five were random. Volunteers were asked to choose which photo looked most similar to the target person. The experiment also used facial recognition software for more accurate analysis.
The study found that couples like Giselle Bündchen and Tom Brady don’t start to look more alike as time passes. Instead, it seems that people tend to select partners who already resemble them physically, much like how they might look for someone who shares their values and personality traits.
This research suggests that the appearance similarity between partners is not necessarily due to "couples growing alike" over time, but rather that individuals may be drawn to people with similar looks from the beginning.
So, while the idea of couples becoming more alike over time might sound plausible, the research points to a different conclusion: people may actively choose partners who resemble them in appearance, just as they do in personality or values. As couples spend years together, their shared experiences can certainly influence their personalities and lifestyles, but when it comes to physical appearance, it’s likely that similarity already exists from the start.
