Something to smile about: the interrelationship between attractiveness and emotional expression
Abstract
Previous studies have suggested a link between the processing of the emotional expression of a face and how attractive it appears. In two experiments we investigated the interrelationship between attractiveness and happiness. In Experiment 1 we presented morphed faces varying in attractiveness and happiness and asked participants to choose the more attractive of two simultaneously presented faces. In the second experiment we used the same stimuli as in Experiment 1 and asked participants to choose the happier face. The results of Experiment 1 revealed that the evaluation of attractiveness is strongly influenced by the intensity of a smile expressed on a face: A happy facial expression could even compensate for relative unattractiveness. Conversely, the findings of Experiment 2 showed that facial attractiveness also influences the evaluation of happiness: It was easier to choose the happier of two faces if the happier face was also more attractive. We discuss the interrelationship of happiness and attractiveness with regard to evolutionary relevance of positive affective status and rewarding effects.
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The choice of using intelligence, trustworthiness, sociability and happiness as dependent attributes for the halo effect was driven by existing literature.
“The choice of using intelligence, trustworthiness, sociability and happiness as dependent attributes for the halo effect was driven by existing literature on this cognitive bias, such as [4,6,8,9,22,53,60–63].”
From What is beautiful is still good: the attractiveness halo effect in the era of beauty filters (2024) · cites this paper as [8]
Cites
Maxims or myths of beauty? A meta-analytic and theoretical review
Langlois, J. H., Kalakanis, L., Rubenstein, A. J., Larson, A., Hallam, M., & Smoot, M. (2000) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/0033-2909.126.3.390 · Cited by 2,429 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Taking these findings together, it could be argued that subjects pay more attention to attractive than to less attractive people (Langlois et al., 2000; COGNITION AND EMOTION, 2014, 28 (2) 307 Maner et al., 2003) and thus are more sensitive towards them.”
BackgroundBeauty in a smile: the role of medial orbitofrontal cortex in facial attractiveness
O’Doherty, J., Winston, J., Critchley, H., Perrett, D., Burt, D. M., & Dolan, R. J. (2003) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/s0028-3932(02)00145-8 · Cited by 898 · see citing works
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Positive affect and psychobiological processes
Dockray, S., & Steptoe, A. (2010) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2010.01.006 · Cited by 263 · see citing works
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What is beautiful is still good: the attractiveness halo effect in the era of beauty filters
Gulati, A., Martínez-Garcia, M., Fernández, D., Lozano, M. A., Lepri, B., & Oliver, N. (2024) · Royal Society Open Science · doi:10.1098/rsos.240882 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
- Authors
- Golle, J., Mast, F. W., & Lobmaier, J. S.
- Affiliations
- University of Bern (CH)
- Corresponding author
- Golle, Jessika
- Venue
- Cognition and Emotion
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2013-07-22
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 298-310
- ISSN
- 0269-9931 (ISSN-L)
- 1464-0600
- OpenAlex
- W2088085999
- Cited by
- 88
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 2.70
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Cognition & Emotion (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Bern Open Repository and Information System (University of Bern) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Aesthetic Perception and Analysis
- Keywords
- facial attractiveness, emotional expression, happiness, facial expressions, smile intensity, morphed faces, positive affect, evolutionary psychology
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Beauty, Choice Behavior, Emotions, Facial Expression, Female, Happiness, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Photic Stimulation, Sex Factors, Visual Perception, Young Adult
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