Czech researchers from Charles University in Prague have identified an important factor in the perception of the attractiveness of a person’s face. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Evolution and Human Behavior (EHB).
From an evolutionary perspective, facial beauty appears to be a sign of health, fertility and good genes. Facial features such as symmetry, fair skin and well-proportioned features are thought to signal genetic compatibility and health, guiding potential mates in their subconscious evaluations.
It is speculated that the preference for beauty evolved because it helped our ancestors choose mates who were more likely to produce healthy offspring, thereby increasing the survival rate and reproduction of their DNA.
The study’s authors analyzed more than 1,500 people from 10 different populations around the world. The researchers manually mapped 72 landmarks onto each of the facial images and used them to assess the symmetry, averageness, and distinctiveness of the faces, as well as gender typicality.
The results showed that facial symmetry is not a beauty factor. This suggests that facial symmetry measured directly from standardized, unprocessed faces does not have a significant effect on the perception of attractiveness.
On the other hand, distinctiveness, which means how much a person’s facial proportions deviate from the population average, plays an important role in the perception of attractiveness. Such features negatively affect perceived beauty. In other words, faces that are closer to the average (more prototypical) tend to be more attractive.
The analysis also showed that, on average, women’s faces were more likely to be rated as attractive than men’s. While men liked women with feminine faces, the masculinity of men’s faces did not play a role in women’s perception of beauty.
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