Podcast: Behind the attractive NFL QBs study

In this week's episode, Sommers and Wertheim explain the myth of the good-looking NFL quarterback and how halo effect plays a role in our lives.

“This is Your Brain on Sports” is a weekly podcast from Sports Illustrated in which SI executive editor Jon Wertheim and Tufts University psychology professor Sam Sommers explore the intersection of sports and human nature—what the world of sports has to teach us about who we are, what we care about and the forces that shape our behavior.

On this week’s episode, Sommers and Wertheim explore the myth of the good-looking quarterback, which is one of the chapters in their new book,This is Your Brain on Sports. The pair explains the photo experiment they conducted where a sample group judged quarterbacks’ attractiveness on a scale of 1 to 10 and how his attractiveness relates to success on the field. Sommers and Wertheim also discuss the “halo effect” with NFL quarterbacks and people in everyday life.

• Read an excerpt from This is Your Brain on Sports

Listen below to find out more about the halo effect and the intersection of sports and psychology, and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on Stitcher, and check back every week for a new episode.