Effect of averageness and sexual dimorphism on the judgment of facial attractiveness

• Published in: Vision research (Oxford) Vol. 49; no. 8; pp. 862 - 869
• Main Authors: Komori, Masashi, Kawamura, Satoru, Ishihara, Shigekazu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 04.05.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Beauty; Biological and medical sciences; Eye and associated structures. Visual pathways and centers. Vision; Face - anatomy & histology; Facial attractiveness; Facial shape; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Geometric morphometrics; Humans; Judgment; Male; Middle Aged; Photic Stimulation - methods; Photography; Principal Component Analysis; Sex Characteristics; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Young Adult; Geometric morphometrics; Facial attractiveness; Facial shape; Physical attraction; Sexual dimorphism; Face; Judgment
• ISSN: 0042-6989; 1878-5646
• DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2009.03.005

Effect of sexual dimorphism and averageness on the judgment of facial attractiveness was investigated. Participants ( n = 114) rated attractiveness of 96 facial photographs with neutral expressions. Principal component analyses were conducted on 80 facial feature points standardized via the generalized Procrustes method. Local regression analysis was used to obtain the distribution of attractiveness evaluations for the first two principal components. The distribution of facial attractiveness of each sex was approximately line-symmetrical, and each axis of the symmetry passed through average male and female faces. These results suggest that sexual dimorphism and averageness independently influence facial attractiveness.