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Republicans See Smiles as Hierarchy Tool, Study Finds

6/25/2026

Summary

Story summary

Researchers led by Arkansas scientist Patrick Stewart published a study showing Republican identification predicts viewing smiles as hierarchy-management tools.
Surveying 1,385 U.S. adults before the 2024 election, the researchers found Republicans had higher odds of endorsing hierarchy reasons for smiling than non-Republicans, after controlling for demographics.
Party identification was a stronger predictor than intent to vote for President Donald Trump, prompting Stewart to code the Epstein hearings for smile-power links.

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Story summary

Researchers led by Arkansas scientist Patrick Stewart published a study showing Republican identification predicts viewing smiles as hierarchy-management tools.
Surveying 1,385 U.S. adults before the 2024 election, the researchers found Republicans had higher odds of endorsing hierarchy reasons for smiling than non-Republicans, after controlling for demographics.
Party identification was a stronger predictor than intent to vote for President Donald Trump, prompting Stewart to code the Epstein hearings for smile-power links.