Do tall and short people prefer different faces? This viral study is dividing the internet.

Does your height determine what faces you find attractive? According to an older study getting buzz on social media, it might.

Research has found that, apparently, tall and short people have different preferences when it comes to facial beauty. According to the 2008 study, taller people generally prefer those with slightly larger foreheads and smaller chins, while shorter people generally prefer larger chins and smaller foreheads.

The finding has sparked interest and discussion on social media, especially after it was spotlighted recently in a viral TikTok video by QOVES, an organization dedicated to promoting research on the science of beauty. Commenters are divided, with some agreeing wholeheartedly and others skeptical.

Psychologists specializing in attraction and relationships say the finding is certainly neat and, most likely, legit − however, they add, the buzz around it points to something much deeper: our culture's obsession with beauty, which can become unhealthy if taken too far.

"I’m always a fan of people wanting to learn more about anything related to relationships and generally think that’s healthy. Sometimes that information gets blown out of proportion," says Gary Lewandowski, a relationship scientist and the author of "Stronger Than You Think: The 10 Blind Spots That Undermine Your Relationship... and How to See Past Them." "Relying on 'tricks' or 'hacks' like this doesn’t give people what they really want, which is an authentic connection."

Why tall and short people are attracted to different faces

Why do tall and short people disagree on what faces are most beautiful?

One theory is the "exposure effect," which posits that people are attracted to what feels familiar to them. The more you're exposed to a physical trait throughout your life, the more likely you are to find that trait beautiful and seek it out in a potential partner.

"When something feels familiar, from an evolutionary perspective that also makes it feel safe," Lewandowski says of the exposure effect. "Familiarity boosts attraction as well."

People who are tall, generally, have to look down at people from an angle that makes foreheads appear more prominent than chins. For shorter people, it's the opposite − they, generally, have to look up at people, which makes chins look more pronounced than foreheads.

As a result of getting continually exposed to faces from different angles, short and tall people differ in what facial proportions they prefer.

It's indeed a neat finding. But Paul Eastwick, a psychology professor and the author of "Bonded by Evolution: The New Science of Love and Connection," encourages people to remember many factors play into attraction. This finding is just one piece of a complicated puzzle.

"As a general illustration of a scientific principle, this all seems fine to me," Eastwick says. "But people should not take dating advice from this study. Effects like these are going to get washed out by the million other factors that come into play when you're meeting someone."

The science of attraction and what the intrigue says about us

Perhaps more revealing than the study itself is the intrigue around it.

In recent years, there's been a growing interest online in the science of what makes people beautiful − a field known as facial aesthetics. These corners of the internet are full of talk about canthal tilts, brow ridges, nose slopes, eye shapes and the supposedly "golden ratio" of facial features − markers that are pretty much impossible to change outside of surgery.

Some online even boast about taking extreme measures to alter their appearance according to these principles. In the "looksmaxxing" community, for instance, some young men encourage each other to do whatever it takes to maximize their appearance, believing that doing so is the best way to find a partner.

"We’re living in an increasingly visual world that highly values the 'aesthetic.' So any appearance-based insights will resonate," Lewandowski says. Also, in the era of dating apps, "people sense a bit more competition for partners since we have so much more access to potential mates. That can create a perceived need for gaining additional advantages to edge out others."

Self-improvement isn't a bad thing. Neither is wanting to learn the science of why people like what they like. But, Eastwick says, both should be kept in perspective.

"I generally advocate for relational solutions for people who are frustrated with dating," Eastwick says. "Believe it or not, psychological experiments show that the best way to boost someone's attractiveness is to get them to have a deep, vulnerable conversation with another person. The effect of this 'fast friends' procedure will be far larger than anything that someone can do to make themselves 'scientifically more attractive.' "