Why are average faces attractive? The effect of view and averageness on the attractiveness of female faces

Valentine, Tim; Darling, Stephen and Donnelly, Mary. 2004. Why are average faces attractive? The effect of view and averageness on the attractiveness of female faces. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 11(3), pp. 482-487. ISSN 1069-9384 [Article]

No full text available

Abstract or Description

Images of faces manipulated to make their shapes closer to the average are perceived as more attractive. The influences of symmetry and averageness are often confounded in studies based on full-face views of faces. Two experiments are reported that compared the effect of manipulating the averageness of female faces in profile and full-face views. Use of a profile view allows a face to be ”morphed“ toward an average shape without creating an image that becomes more symmetrical. Faces morphed toward the average were perceived as more attractive in both views, but the effect was significantly stronger for full-face views. Both full-face and profile views morphed away from the average shape were perceived as less attractive. It is concluded that the effect of averageness is independent of any effect of symmetry on the perceived attractiveness of female faces.

Item Type:

Article

Identification Number (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03196599

Departments, Centres and Research Units:

Psychology

Dates:

DateEvent
June 2004Published

Item ID:

5481

Date Deposited:

30 Mar 2011 11:48

Last Modified:

04 Jul 2017 13:06

Peer Reviewed:

Yes, this version has been peer-reviewed.

URI:

https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/5481

Edit Record Edit Record (login required)