Study Reveals Differences Between the Faces of the 'Haves' and the 'Have-Nots'

There are many new slang terms popularised by Gen Z on social media, one of which is ‘orang have’, meaning ‘people who have’ or wealthy individuals, while ‘orang enough’ refers to those living modestly.

Interestingly, a study has examined the facial differences between the ‘haves’ and the ‘enoughs’.

A study found that a person’s level of wealth and social status can be reflected in their face. The research, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, states that expressions formed over a lifetime can influence how others perceive a person.

Researcher R-Thora Bjornsdottir revealed that social class differences can apparently be read from a person’s face, even when they are not displaying a particular expression.

“The relationship between wealth and social class has been studied often, but this research shows that these differences can be seen in the face,” she said, as quoted from CNBC Make It.

The study found that people with more stable financial conditions typically have lower stress levels, and therefore tend to have more relaxed facial expressions. This is reflected in facial expression patterns formed over time. Conversely, those who must struggle to meet basic needs tend to hold emotional tension that can be subtly read.

In the study, researchers used 160 black-and-white photos with neutral expressions, consisting of 80 men and 80 women, half from the upper social class and the other half from working-class backgrounds. When the photos were shown to respondents, they were asked to guess the social status of each subject.

The results were surprising. As many as 68 percent of the guesses were correct, far higher than random chance. Responses also remained accurate even when the photos were cropped to show only the eyes or mouth, and many respondents were unaware of how they could read these differences.

Nicholas O. Rule, one of the researchers, explained that the human face stores emotional patterns formed throughout life. Certain muscle contractions that occur frequently, for example due to repeated stress or happiness, can shape subtle lines and structures on the face.

“Facial-based perceptions of social class may have important downstream consequences. People talk about the cycle of poverty and this could potentially be one of its causes,” Rule said.

Nevertheless, the fact that most people can guess someone’s social status just from their face could carry negative consequences, particularly regarding bias and judgement. For example, people with a ‘rich face’ often receive better treatment from others.

“Facial-based perceptions of social class may have important consequences. We know there is something called the cycle of poverty and this could potentially be one of its contributors,” Rule said.