People who look dominant are less likely to be asked for help

What is it about?

We all occasionally need the help of others whom we do not know well. We examined the influence of the facial appearance of both a potential helper and the help seeker on such a decision. People consider a person who looks submissive as more likely to help. This seems to be because the submissive person seem more caring and helpful. Preference for a submissive potential helper is also true for situations in which the perceiver had to choose a helper for themselves.

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Why is it important?

In the specific context of helping, the question if a person appears to be dominant or submissive are an important determinant to whom one should address a request for help. One of the advantages of social life is the ability to rely on others in order to achieve desired goals. The faces of our conspecifics help us to do this.

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