The World Cup may be over but research on soccer players is still big news

With the excitement of the World Cup coming to an end this past weekend, and Germany being the proud champions you may be missing your daily soccer intake. Not to worry, just check out this recently published article by Justin Carré (assistant professor in the department of psychology) et al, titled An Examination of the Associations Between Facial Structure, Aggressive Behaviour, and Performance in the 2010 World Cup Association Football Players.

Abstract:

Previous research suggests that facial-width-to-height ratio (FWHR) predicts aggression, unethical behaviour and non-reciprocity of trust. One limitation of this research is that all samples originate from western countries. To overcome this limitation, the present study investigates the relationship between FWHR and performance among association football athletes involved in the 2010 World Cup representing 32 countries. Results indicated that across all 32 countries, the associations between FWHR and athletic performance varied depending on position. FWHR positively predicted fouls within midfielders and forwards, and goal and assists within forwards. Collectively, these findings demonstrate the associations FWHR has with athletic behaviour and performance for the first time in a well-varied multinational sample.