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Who knew that an eye for beauty could put you in danger?

Beware of strangers. Don't judge a book by its cover. We repeat these time-worn proverbs without even thinking, but new research by Rice professor Rick Wilson suggests we live by neither of them. The recent study, titled "Judging a Book by Its Cover: Beauty and Expectations in the Trust Game"and co-authored by University of Texas at Dallas professor Catherine Eckel, found that attractiveness enters the equation when people must make snap judgments regarding whether to trust a stranger. "We found that attractive subjects gain a ‘beauty premium' in that they are trusted at higher rates,"Wilson said. Conversely, he added, there is a "beauty penalty"imposed on attractive people when they are not as trustworthy as expected. Turns out, beauty can be both a blessing and a curse.