Dana Galler
Yeshiva University, Stern College for Women, New York, New York, USA Immigration and Mental Health: Stress, Psychiatric Disorders and Suicidal Behavior Among Immigrants and Refugees. Hauppauge, New York: Nova Science Publishers, 2010, 350 pages.

Physical attractiveness is a significant predictor of important life outcomes, since attractive adults tend to receive more attention and help from others, achieve greater occupational success, have more positive social interactions including dating and sexual experiences, become more popular, and enjoy better physical and mental health than their less attractive counterparts. While a cross-cultural and universal criteria for the discernment of beauty does indeed exist and certain facial cues universally seem to be indicative of an individual’s attractiveness, other factors, such as facial familiarity, parental influences and olfactory cues may also contribute to the perception of attractiveness. Recent social psychological research further indicates that society not only attributes more positive qualities to those viewed as more attractive, but also tends to treat these individuals more favorably.