Yearbook photos could predict one's divorce

One's yearbook photo might predict the likelihood of getting a divorce in the future, according to a new book.

Matthew Hertenstein, psychology professor at the DePauw University, in his new book 'The Tell: The Little Clues That Reveal Big Truths about Who We Are' digs deeper into his 2009 study that revealed that people who smiled widely were more likely to have lasting marriages than those who smiled weakly, or not at all, in their childhood photos, the Huffington Post reported.

Hertenstein and his team had examined several hundred college yearbook photos to understand how intensely people smiled and then asked the subjects, ranging in age from their early twenties to their late eighties, if they had divorced.

The study found that those who smiled the least in their yearbook photos were five times more likely to divorce at some point in their lives compared to those who smiled the most.

Hertenstein has written in his book that people who smile in their photos are simply being more compliant when the photographer says, 'Cheese,' and it may be that this level of obedience is the glue that keeps some marriages together.

He added that people who smile in their photographs have a more positive disposition and more extensive social network and during tough times, people with a positive emotional disposition and strong social support tend to thrive.