Old photos predict marriage success?

Researchers study photos, smiles, divorce
What does your yearbook picture have to do with the success of your marriage? Maybe more than you think, according to a new study. Researchers have found that those who smile more in their college yearbook photos had lower rates of divorce than those who didn't smile as much, according to LiveScience.com .
In one test, researchers looked at photos and rated the smiles from 1-10. Scoring was based on the two muscles that create smiles -- one that pulls up on the mouth and the other that creates wrinkles around the eyes. None of the people who were rated in the top 10 percent of smile strength had divorced, while in the bottom 10 percent, one in four had divorced.
A second test revealed that among those over 65 who had their childhood photos examined, only 11 percent of the biggest smilers had divorced, while 31 percent of the frowners ended their marriage.
Researchers say nothing conclusive can be drawn from the findings.
"Maybe smiling represents a positive disposition towards life," study leader Matthew Hertenstein, a psychologist at DePauw University in Indiana, told LiveScience.com . "Or maybe smiling people attract other happier people, and the combination may lead to a greater likelihood of a long-lasting marriage. We don't really know for sure what's causing it."
Smiling might not just help marriages, it might just save your job. According to a report in the Christian Science Monitor, during recessions, those who avoid being laid off smile more and have generally positive dispositions, and they are not necessarily the most skilled or proficient.