Cited by 60Face Recognition and PerceptionEvolutionary Psychology and Human BehaviorSocial and Intergroup Psychology

We look like our names: the manifestation of name stereotypes in facial appearance

Zwebner, Yonat, Sellier, Anne-Laure, Rosenfeld, Nir, Goldenberg, Jacob, Mayo, Ruth·2017·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

Abstract

, whereby both a social perceiver and a computer are able to accurately match a person's name to his or her face. In 8 studies we demonstrate the existence of this effect, as participants examining an unfamiliar face accurately select the person's true name from a list of several names, significantly above chance level. We replicate the effect in 2 countries and find that it extends beyond the limits of socioeconomic cues. We also find the effect using a computer-based paradigm and 94,000 faces. In our exploration of the underlying mechanism, we show that existing name stereotypes produce the effect, as its occurrence is culture-dependent. A self-fulfilling prophecy seems to be at work, as initial evidence shows that facial appearance regions that are controlled by the individual (e.g., hairstyle) are sufficient to produce the effect, and socially using one's given name is necessary to generate the effect. Together, these studies suggest that facial appearance represents social expectations of how a person with a specific name should look. In this way a social tag may influence one's facial appearance. (PsycINFO Database Record

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Crossref · 10.1037/pspa0000076

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Authors
Zwebner, Y., Sellier, A.-L., Rosenfeld, N., Goldenberg, J., & Mayo, R.
Affiliations
  • Hebrew University of Jerusalem (IL)
  • HEC Paris (FR)
Venue
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Published
2017-04
Volume
112
Issue
4
Pages
527-554
ISSN
  • 0022-3514 (ISSN-L)
  • 1939-1315
OpenAlex
W2594250733
Cited by
60
References
78
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 1
FWCI
3.46
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
Keywords
facial appearance, given names, self-fulfilling prophecy, cultural differences, hairstyles, social expectations
MeSH terms
Facial Recognition, Adult, Female, France, Humans, Israel, Male, Names, Social Perception, Stereotyping, Young Adult

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