Facial Symmetry and Attractiveness | The Evolution of ...

The Evolutionary Advantage theory proposed that symmetrical faces are perceived as more attractive because the symmetry indicates good health in ... Oneoftheleadingaspectsusedtomeasureconventionalattractivenessscientificallyisfacialsymmetry. Typically,thisismeasuredbymanipulatinganoriginalphotoofaperson(weareallatleastalittleasymmetric,nopersonisperfectlysymmetrical)intoaperfectlysymmetricversionoftheirface.Thismanipulated,symmetricimageisthenpresentedtotestsubjectalongwiththeoriginalphoto.Subjectsarethenaskedtoindicatewhichfaceismoreattractive,usuallyindicatingthesymmetricalversion.(Thesefindingshavebeenreplicatedinmultiplestudies.)Thoughtheseresultsindicatethatpeoplepreferandperceivethemoresymmetricfacesasattractive,therehasbeenconsiderabledebateaboutwhythisis. Therehavebeentwotheoriesofsubstanceproposedbyresearcherstoexplainthepreferenceforsymmetricalfaces: TheEvolutionaryAdvantagetheoryproposedthatsymmetricalfacesareperceivedasmoreattractivebecausethesymmetryindicatesgoodhealthinanindividual.Everyone’sgenesaredesignedtodevelopafaceperfectlysymmetrical,butaswegrow,develop,andthenage,disease,infections,andparasitescauseimperfectioninourappearance(asymmetry).Thus,thosethathavelessasymmetryandimperfections,areperceivedashavingbetterandstrongerimmunesystemstowithstandtheinfectionsandparasitesthatoccurnaturally.So,symmetryisagoodindicatorofapersonhavinggoodgenestopassontheiroffspring.UndertheEvolutionaryAdvantageviewofsymmetricpreferences,wehaveevolvedtoprefersymmetryandperceiveitasattractivebecauseoverhumanhistorywehaveconsistentlyandconstantlypreferredhealthierindividualsformates.Insum,theEvolutionaryAdvantageviewsuggeststhatattractiontosymmetricindividualsreflectsanattractiontohealthyindividualswhowouldbegoodmates. ThesecondtheorytoexplainthepreferenceforfacialsymmetryisPerceptualBias.  Thistheorysuggeststhatthehumanvisualsystemmaybe“hardwired”inawaythatmakesitmucheasiertoprocesssymmetricalstimulithanasymmetricalstimuli.Ifthisistrue,theeaseofprocessingsymmetricalstimuliwouldcauseustonaturallypreferthemtoasymmetricalstimuli. Underthisview,preferencesforsymmetricalfaceswouldbenodifferentthanforanyotherobject.Soaccordingtothis,aswellaspreferringsymmetricalfaces,humanswouldalsoprefermoresymmetricalobjectsofanykind.Thishasbeensupportedasithasbeenfoundthatpeoplemuchprefersymmetricalpiecesofabstractartandsculpturestoasymmetricalones. LittleandJones(2003)didastudytoinvestigatewhypeopleprefersymmetricfacestoasymmetricones,bytestingandattemptingtoapplypredictionsfromboththeEvolutionaryAdvantagetheoryandPerceptualBias.Previousstudiesfoundthatthesymmetricpreferenceisstrongerforattractivenessofoppositesexthansamesex.LittleandJonesfoundthatthemanipulated,symmetricfaceswerejudgedmoreattractivewhenshowntherightwayup,butnotwhenthefaceswereinverted.Thesefindingssuggestthatsymmetryismoreimportantinmatechoicestimulithaninotherstimuli,supportingtheEvolutionaryAdvantagetheoryandpresentingmultipledifficultiesforthePerceptionBiastheory(ifsymmetryofanykindwaspreferredthenthemoresymmetricalfacewouldhavebeenindicatedasmoreattractiveboththerightwayupANDwheninverted).   Ifanyoneisinterestedinlearningmore,youcanbenefitfromtakingaclassorjustresearchingPennState’sveryownDr.MarkShriver,ageneticist,whoconductsresearchinBrazilonfacialsymmetry.Thoughongoing,Shriver’sresearchhasmeasuredthousandsofBrazilian(andotherethnicities)facesinfacialsymmetry,judgingtheirscientificattractivenessandthereforecontributingthemostevidencetowardstheideathatmixedracepeoplearemoreattractive—inthiscaseattractionisnotsubjective,itispurelymeasurewithsymmetry.ShriverteachesmanyhigherlevelANTHclasses,butifanyoneisinterested,IsuggeststartingwithANTH021–BiologicalAnthropology. http://faceresearch.org/students/symmetry http://www.businessinsider.com/symmetrical-faces-2011-7?op=1 Postnavigation PreviousPostSelectionforHomosexualityNextPostGenderIdentity:Naturevs.Nurture? 6thoughtson“FacialSymmetryandAttractiveness” Pingback:DoOppositesAttract?–modernloveancientbrains Pingback:Heymark419nyandwhitepani-Page2-Ducati1199Forum Ithinkthatboththeoriesarehighlyplausiblewhenitcomestounderstandingwhypeoplefindsymmetryattractive.Thistopicremindsmeofwhenpeoplegettheirpicturetakenandalwaysinsistongettingtheshotfromtheir“betterside”.Themindhasaveryinterestingwayofjudgingthephysicalworldaroundusanditisnosurprisethatwedon’treallynoticethatweareevaluatingeverysingleaspectofoursurroundingsbeforeinteractingwiththem. Ihaveheardofpeopletalkingabouthowsymmetricalfacesaremoreattractive,andthatreallynevermadesensetome.ButIalsohadnoideathesetheoriesexist.Ithinkitissofascinatingthatweperceivesymmetricalfacestobemoreattractivewithoutreallythinkingaboutit.WhenIseesomeone,Idon’tautomaticallyimaginealinedownthecenteroftheirfaceandcheckwhetherornottheleftsideisthesameastheright. However,theideaofhowourbrainsliketoperceivethingsmake100%sensetomebecauseitissimilartowhatIlearnedinPsych100.Ourbrainslikeconsistentpatternsandwillautomaticallymakesomethingcomplete. Sointeresting! Thisisaveryinterestingpost.Ihadheardoftheevolutionaryadvantageargument,butnottheperceptualbiasargument.Thelatterisveryinteresting.Ineverthoughtthatwecouldfindothersattractivesimplybecausetheyareactually“easierontheeyes”ormorespecificallyourbrains.IhaveDr.ShriverthissemesterforAnth021anditisaveryinterestingclass.Hisresearchonfacialstructureisalsoveryfascinating. Ihavealwaysheardpeopletalkaboutthistopic,butIneverknewthattherewasresearchtosupportthefactthatsymmetricalpeoplearemoreattractive!Ihaveanexampleofthisinmylife,mybestfriendsentmeapictureofthisgirlwhowasherex’snewgirlfriendandaskedifshewasprettierthanher.Myfirstreactionwastosaynoway!herfaceiscompletelyunsymmetricalanditactuallykindofupsetsme.Iamgoingtoreadmoreaboutthistopic,becauseitkindoffascinatesme.Goodjob. LeaveaReplyCancelreplyYoumustbeloggedintopostacomment. Discoveringhumansexualitythroughtheyears. Skiptotoolbar SitesatPennStateLogInSearch