Clinging or winging? Secret's in the shoes

(Photo by Joe Hastings)

If you’re wondering whether your new date will turn out to be either a clinging vine or a free-spirited bird, sneak a peek at the footwear.

According to Dr. Angela Bahns, Assistant Professor of  Psychology at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, shoes not only reveal people’s personal style, but may also “carry information about their personality traits.”   MSN Health on Today reported on the results of Bahns’ research into such matters.

Bahns’ team gathered survey responses from a group of 63 University of Kansas students who were asked to look at pictures of shoes and then “rate the owners on their personality, attachment style, political bent and… age, gender, and family income.”  These pictures had been collected from a group of 208 University of Kansas students, aged 18 to 55.  This latter group was asked to choose photos of the shoes they wear most often, and was also asked to complete “various online personality tests.”

It came as no surprise that demographics such as age, gender and income were fairly easy to link with photos of average boots and sneakers (which were far more prevalent in this college crowd then, say, Jimmy Choos).  What was a surprise is that the responders were also able to accurately determine the attachment style of these shoe-owners.

Although it currently remains “unclear how people can pick up on attachment anxiety [which refers to how preoccupied you are about rejection/abandonment] by the looks of your shoes” – Bahns’ team theorizes that “visible signs like color or upkeep” might be signaling how laid back (low attachment anxiety) or concerned (high attachment anxiety) people are about appearances.

So if you’re looking to walk the path of Buddhist detachment, perhaps well-worn chartreuse sneakers are the best choice of gear…

Resource

http://todayhealth.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/13/12206095-you-really-can-judge-people-by-their-shoes

Copyright June 18, 2012 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved