Why are average faces attractive? The effect of view and averageness on the attractiveness of female faces
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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.
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There is some evidence from the face perception literature that an average face, one closer to the population mean, is consistently rated as being attractive.
“There is some evidence from the face perception literature that an average face, one closer to the population mean, is consistently rated as being attractive (Rhodes et al., 2000; Valentine et al., 2004; Potter and Corneille, 2008).”
From The degree to which the cultural ideal is internalized predicts judgments of male and female physical attractiveness (2022) · cites this paper as Valentine et al., 2004
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References 24 · Cited by 147
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- Galton, F. (1878). Composite portraits. Journal of the Anthropologi- cal Institute of Great Britain & Ireland, 8, 132-144.
- Authors
- Valentine, T., Darling, S., & Donnelly, M.
- Affiliations
- University of London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Valentine, Tim
- Venue
- Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
- Published
- 2004-06
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 482-487
- ISSN
- 1069-9384 (ISSN-L)
- 1531-5320
- OpenAlex
- W1969949942
- Cited by
- 147
- References
- 24
- Citations by year
- 2025: 6 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 4.27
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Psychonomic Bulletin & Review (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Queen Margaret University Publications Repository (Queen Margaret University) (acceptedVersion)
- Queen Margaret University Publications Repository (Queen Margaret University) (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 averageness, facial attractiveness, facial symmetry, lateral view, full-face view, female faces, face morphing, face perception
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Affect, Face, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Visual Perception
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