Showing posts with label Beauty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beauty. Show all posts
January 25, 2015
Les origines de la beauté
December 17, 2009
Facial attractiveness ratios for Caucasoid women
Vision Research doi:10.1016/j.visres.2009.11.003
New “golden” ratios for facial beauty
Pamela M. Pallett et al.
Abstract
In four experiments, we tested the existence of an ideal facial feature arrangement that could optimize the attractiveness of any face given its facial features. Participants made paired comparisons of attractiveness between faces with identical facial features but different eye–mouth distances and different interocular distances. We found that although different faces have varying attractiveness, individual attractiveness is optimized when the face’s vertical distance between the eyes and the mouth is approximately 36% of its length, and the horizontal distance between the eyes is approximately 46% of the face’s width. These “new” golden ratios match those of an average face.
Link
New “golden” ratios for facial beauty
Pamela M. Pallett et al.
Abstract
In four experiments, we tested the existence of an ideal facial feature arrangement that could optimize the attractiveness of any face given its facial features. Participants made paired comparisons of attractiveness between faces with identical facial features but different eye–mouth distances and different interocular distances. We found that although different faces have varying attractiveness, individual attractiveness is optimized when the face’s vertical distance between the eyes and the mouth is approximately 36% of its length, and the horizontal distance between the eyes is approximately 46% of the face’s width. These “new” golden ratios match those of an average face.
Link
October 12, 2008
Data-Driven Enhancement of Facial Attractiveness
A new beautification software that transforms a face to make it more attractive while maintaining its "individuality" and recognizability. Link to paper and supporting information. Below is a technical video explaining the method. On the left are examples of original and beautified test images. The NY Times has an article on the subject.ACM SIGGRAPH 2008
Data-Driven Enhancement of Facial Attractiveness
Tommer Leyvand, Daniel Cohen-Or, Gideon Dror and Dani Lischinski
When human raters are presented with a collection of shapes and asked to rank them according to their aesthetic appeal, the results
often indicate that there is a statistical consensus among the raters. Yet it might be difficult to define a succinct set of rules that capture the aesthetic preferences of the raters. In this work, we explore a data-driven approach to aesthetic enhancement of such shapes. Specifically, we focus on the challenging problem of enhancing the aesthetic appeal (or the attractiveness) of human faces in frontal photographs (portraits), while maintaining close similarity with the original.
The key component in our approach is an automatic facial attractiveness engine trained on datasets of faces with accompanying facial attractiveness ratings collected from groups of human raters. Given a new face, we extract a set of distances between a variety of facial feature locations, which define a point in a high-dimensional “face space”. We then search the face space for a nearby point with a higher predicted attractiveness rating. Once such a point is found, the corresponding facial distances are embedded in the plane and serve as a target to define a 2D warp field which maps the original facial features to their adjusted locations. The effectiveness of our technique was experimentally validated by independent rating experiments, which indicate that it is indeed capable of increasing the facial attractiveness of most portraits that we have experimented with.
Link (pdf)
July 17, 2008
Beauty map of London
This is the kind of quantitative study that I really like. There is so much anecdotal talk and debate about whether people from this region/country/continent/class/religion etc. are more beautiful/attractive/intelligent/etc. but with the exception of IQ and personality traits, I have seen very little quantitative evidence for these assertions.
Like g where an individual's correlated performance in multiple test items allows us to extract a common underlying intelligence factor, correlated measures of attractiveness across many observers could in principle allow us to extract an individuals BQ (beauty quotient) in a controlled social science experiment.
Personality and Individual Differences doi:10.1016/j.paid.2008.05.005
A beauty-map of London: Ratings of the physical attractiveness of women and men in London’s boroughs
Viren Swami and Eliana G. Hernandez
Abstract
In 1908, Francis Galton discussed anecdotal data he had collected for the compilation of a ‘beauty-map of the British Isles’. Based on his discussion, the present study attempted to compile a more empirical beauty-map of London. A community sample of 461 Londoners completed a questionnaire in which they rated the physical attractiveness of women and men in London’s 33 boroughs, as well as their familiarity with those boroughs. Results showed a significant interaction between borough and rated sex, with women being rated as more attractive across boroughs, and three boroughs in particular (the City of London, the City of Westminster, and Kensington and Chelsea) being rated high in physical attractiveness. Overall, ratings of attractiveness were significantly positively correlated with familiarity of boroughs, as well as objective measures of borough affluence (specifically, annual gross pay and average house prices) but not of borough health (life expectancy). These results are discussed in relation to the association between wealth and attractiveness, as well as Galton’s original beauty-map.
Link
Like g where an individual's correlated performance in multiple test items allows us to extract a common underlying intelligence factor, correlated measures of attractiveness across many observers could in principle allow us to extract an individuals BQ (beauty quotient) in a controlled social science experiment.
Personality and Individual Differences doi:10.1016/j.paid.2008.05.005
A beauty-map of London: Ratings of the physical attractiveness of women and men in London’s boroughs
Viren Swami and Eliana G. Hernandez
Abstract
In 1908, Francis Galton discussed anecdotal data he had collected for the compilation of a ‘beauty-map of the British Isles’. Based on his discussion, the present study attempted to compile a more empirical beauty-map of London. A community sample of 461 Londoners completed a questionnaire in which they rated the physical attractiveness of women and men in London’s 33 boroughs, as well as their familiarity with those boroughs. Results showed a significant interaction between borough and rated sex, with women being rated as more attractive across boroughs, and three boroughs in particular (the City of London, the City of Westminster, and Kensington and Chelsea) being rated high in physical attractiveness. Overall, ratings of attractiveness were significantly positively correlated with familiarity of boroughs, as well as objective measures of borough affluence (specifically, annual gross pay and average house prices) but not of borough health (life expectancy). These results are discussed in relation to the association between wealth and attractiveness, as well as Galton’s original beauty-map.
Link
April 06, 2008
Computer taught to recognize female attractiveness
Computer Taught To Recognize Attractiveness In Women:
A machine learning predictor of facial attractiveness revealing human-like psychophysical biases
Amit Kagian et al.
Abstract
Recent psychological studies have strongly suggested that humans share common visual preferences for facial attractiveness. Here, we present a learning model that automatically extracts measurements of facial features from raw images and obtains human-level performance in predicting facial attractiveness ratings. The machine’s ratings are highly correlated with mean human ratings, markedly improving on recent machine learning studies of this task. Simulated psychophysical experiments with virtually manipulated images reveal preferences in the machine’s judgments that are remarkably similar to those of humans. Thus, a model trained explicitly to capture a specific operational performance criteria, implicitly captures basic human psychophysical characteristics.
Link
In the first step of the study, 30 men and women were presented with 100 different faces of Caucasian women, roughly of the same age, and were asked to judge the beauty of each face. The subjects rated the images on a scale of 1 through 7 and did not explain why they chose certain scores. Kagian and his colleagues then went to the computer and processed and mapped the geometric shape of facial features mathematically.Vision Research http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.visres.2007.11.007
Additional features such as face symmetry, smoothness of the skin and hair color were fed into the analysis as well. Based on human preferences, the machine "learned" the relation between facial features and attractiveness scores and was then put to the test on a fresh set of faces.
Says Kagian, "The computer produced impressive results -- its rankings were very similar to the rankings people gave." This is considered a remarkable achievement, believes Kagian, because it's as though the computer "learned" implicitly how to interpret beauty through processing previous data it had received.
A machine learning predictor of facial attractiveness revealing human-like psychophysical biases
Amit Kagian et al.
Abstract
Recent psychological studies have strongly suggested that humans share common visual preferences for facial attractiveness. Here, we present a learning model that automatically extracts measurements of facial features from raw images and obtains human-level performance in predicting facial attractiveness ratings. The machine’s ratings are highly correlated with mean human ratings, markedly improving on recent machine learning studies of this task. Simulated psychophysical experiments with virtually manipulated images reveal preferences in the machine’s judgments that are remarkably similar to those of humans. Thus, a model trained explicitly to capture a specific operational performance criteria, implicitly captures basic human psychophysical characteristics.
Link
March 28, 2008
Which of these two women is more attractive? (updated)
There are separate polls for male and female readers. Comments will open when the results are announced.
UPDATE (March 31): The results are now in:
MEN: Left: 369 (77%), Right: 109 (23%)
WOMEN: Left: 125 (58%), Right: 89 (42%)
Feel free to give your explanations for the findings, voice your preferences and the reasons for them, or speculate about what each of these two women represent!
UPDATE (April 1):
The names for search engines: Katherine Heigl, Alessandra Ambrosio, Kate Beckinsale, Eva Mendes, Jessica Alba, Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Biel, Marisa Miller, Ginger Rogers, Joan Fontaine, Jennifer Jones, Joan Crawford, Olivia de Havilland, Loretta Young, Jane Wyman.
March 15, 2008
Perhaps beautiful people are not more intelligent after all
The author is criticizing Kanazawa and Kovar (2004) Why beautiful people are more intelligent. The paper's conclusion:
Intelligence doi:10.1016/j.intell.2008.01.003
Beauty and intelligence may – or may not – be related
Kevin Denny
Abstract
In a recent paper, [Kanazawa S. & Kovar J.L. (2004). Why beautiful people are more intelligent, Intelligence, 32, 227–243] assert that given certain empirical regularities about assortative mating and the heritability of intelligence and beauty, that it logically follows that more intelligent people are more beautiful. It is argued here that this “theorem” is false and that the evidence does not support it.
Link
Measuring intelligence and its correlates is a fundamental research endeavour in psychology which has attracted huge interest and no little controversy amongst scholars. It is vital therefore that claims about the relationship between intelligence and other variables are carefully established. This paper argues that KK's claim is theoretically suspect and that the evidence that is claimed to support it is, in fact, weak and inconclusive.What struck me when reading the recent paper is how little direct and strong evidence for a relationship between beauty and intelligence in adults exists. It is known, for example, that beautiful people make more money, that intelligent people make more money, but one can't conclude on the basis of these two facts that beauty and intelligence go together in the same individuals. Hopefully someone will study the issue of cognitive ability and beauty directly.
Intelligence doi:10.1016/j.intell.2008.01.003
Beauty and intelligence may – or may not – be related
Kevin Denny
Abstract
In a recent paper, [Kanazawa S. & Kovar J.L. (2004). Why beautiful people are more intelligent, Intelligence, 32, 227–243] assert that given certain empirical regularities about assortative mating and the heritability of intelligence and beauty, that it logically follows that more intelligent people are more beautiful. It is argued here that this “theorem” is false and that the evidence does not support it.
Link
January 05, 2008
Critique of Stephen Marquardt's Beauty Mask
See the Human Beauty and You and the Mask sites for more information on the Beauty Mask.
Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2008 Jan 4;
Marquardt's Phi Mask: Pitfalls of Relying on Fashion Models and the Golden Ratio to Describe a Beautiful Face.
Holland E
BACKGROUND: Stephen Marquardt has derived a mask from the golden ratio that he claims represents the "ideal" facial archetype. Many have found his mask convincing, including cosmetic surgeons. However, Marquardt's mask is associated with numerous problems. The method used to examine goodness of fit with the proportions in the mask is faulty. The mask is ill-suited for non-European populations, especially sub-Saharan Africans and East Asians. The mask also appears to approximate the face shape of masculinized European women. Given that the general public strongly and overwhelmingly prefers above average facial femininity in women, white women seeking aesthetic facial surgery would be ill-advised to aim toward a better fit with Marquardt's mask. This article aims to show the proper way of assessing goodness of fit with Marquardt's mask, to address the shape of the mask as it pertains to masculinity-femininity, and to discuss the broader issue of an objective assessment of facial attractiveness. METHODS: Generalized Procrustes analysis is used to show how goodness of fit with Marquardt's mask can be assessed. Thin-plate spline analysis is used to illustrate visually how sample faces, including northwestern European averages, differ from Marquardt's mask. RESULTS: Marquardt's mask best describes the facial proportions of masculinized white women as seen in fashion models. CONCLUSIONS: Marquardt's mask does not appear to describe "ideal" face shape even for white women because its proportions are inconsistent with the optimal preferences of most people, especially with regard to femininity.
Link
Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2008 Jan 4;
Marquardt's Phi Mask: Pitfalls of Relying on Fashion Models and the Golden Ratio to Describe a Beautiful Face.
Holland E
BACKGROUND: Stephen Marquardt has derived a mask from the golden ratio that he claims represents the "ideal" facial archetype. Many have found his mask convincing, including cosmetic surgeons. However, Marquardt's mask is associated with numerous problems. The method used to examine goodness of fit with the proportions in the mask is faulty. The mask is ill-suited for non-European populations, especially sub-Saharan Africans and East Asians. The mask also appears to approximate the face shape of masculinized European women. Given that the general public strongly and overwhelmingly prefers above average facial femininity in women, white women seeking aesthetic facial surgery would be ill-advised to aim toward a better fit with Marquardt's mask. This article aims to show the proper way of assessing goodness of fit with Marquardt's mask, to address the shape of the mask as it pertains to masculinity-femininity, and to discuss the broader issue of an objective assessment of facial attractiveness. METHODS: Generalized Procrustes analysis is used to show how goodness of fit with Marquardt's mask can be assessed. Thin-plate spline analysis is used to illustrate visually how sample faces, including northwestern European averages, differ from Marquardt's mask. RESULTS: Marquardt's mask best describes the facial proportions of masculinized white women as seen in fashion models. CONCLUSIONS: Marquardt's mask does not appear to describe "ideal" face shape even for white women because its proportions are inconsistent with the optimal preferences of most people, especially with regard to femininity.
Link
November 30, 2007
Objective beauty in the classical canon
From the paper:
The Golden Beauty: Brain Response to Classical and Renaissance Sculptures
Cinzia Di Dio et al.
Abstract
Is there an objective, biological basis for the experience of beauty in art? Or is aesthetic experience entirely subjective? Using fMRI technique, we addressed this question by presenting viewers, naïve to art criticism, with images of masterpieces of Classical and Renaissance sculpture. Employing proportion as the independent variable, we produced two sets of stimuli: one composed of images of original sculptures; the other of a modified version of the same images. The stimuli were presented in three conditions: observation, aesthetic judgment, and proportion judgment. In the observation condition, the viewers were required to observe the images with the same mind-set as if they were in a museum. In the other two conditions they were required to give an aesthetic or proportion judgment on the same images. Two types of analyses were carried out: one which contrasted brain response to the canonical and the modified sculptures, and one which contrasted beautiful vs. ugly sculptures as judged by each volunteer. The most striking result was that the observation of original sculptures, relative to the modified ones, produced activation of the right insula as well as of some lateral and medial cortical areas (lateral occipital gyrus, precuneus and prefrontal areas). The activation of the insula was particularly strong during the observation condition. Most interestingly, when volunteers were required to give an overt aesthetic judgment, the images judged as beautiful selectively activated the right amygdala, relative to those judged as ugly. We conclude that, in observers naïve to art criticism, the sense of beauty is mediated by two non-mutually exclusive processes: one based on a joint activation of sets of cortical neurons, triggered by parameters intrinsic to the stimuli, and the insula (objective beauty); the other based on the activation of the amygdala, driven by one's own emotional experiences (subjective beauty).
Link
The main question we addressed in the present study was whether there is an objective beauty, i.e., if objective parameters intrinsic to works of art are able to elicit a specific neural pattern underlying the sense of beauty in the observer. Our results gave a positive answer to this question. The presence of a specific parameter (the golden ratio) in the stimuli we presented determined brain activations different to those where this parameter was violated. The spark that changed the perception of a sculpture from “ugly” to beautiful appears to be the joint activation of specific populations of cortical neurons responding to the physical properties of the stimuli and of neurons located in the anterior insula.PLoS One
The Golden Beauty: Brain Response to Classical and Renaissance Sculptures
Cinzia Di Dio et al.
Abstract
Is there an objective, biological basis for the experience of beauty in art? Or is aesthetic experience entirely subjective? Using fMRI technique, we addressed this question by presenting viewers, naïve to art criticism, with images of masterpieces of Classical and Renaissance sculpture. Employing proportion as the independent variable, we produced two sets of stimuli: one composed of images of original sculptures; the other of a modified version of the same images. The stimuli were presented in three conditions: observation, aesthetic judgment, and proportion judgment. In the observation condition, the viewers were required to observe the images with the same mind-set as if they were in a museum. In the other two conditions they were required to give an aesthetic or proportion judgment on the same images. Two types of analyses were carried out: one which contrasted brain response to the canonical and the modified sculptures, and one which contrasted beautiful vs. ugly sculptures as judged by each volunteer. The most striking result was that the observation of original sculptures, relative to the modified ones, produced activation of the right insula as well as of some lateral and medial cortical areas (lateral occipital gyrus, precuneus and prefrontal areas). The activation of the insula was particularly strong during the observation condition. Most interestingly, when volunteers were required to give an overt aesthetic judgment, the images judged as beautiful selectively activated the right amygdala, relative to those judged as ugly. We conclude that, in observers naïve to art criticism, the sense of beauty is mediated by two non-mutually exclusive processes: one based on a joint activation of sets of cortical neurons, triggered by parameters intrinsic to the stimuli, and the insula (objective beauty); the other based on the activation of the amygdala, driven by one's own emotional experiences (subjective beauty).
Link
December 20, 2006
The shape of beauty
J Cosmet Dermatol. 2006 Jun;5(2):190-4
The shape of beauty: determinants of female physical attractiveness.
Fisher ML, Voracek M.
Rarely has one research area gained as much attention as that which is observed for female physical attractiveness. The past decade has resulted in numerous, exciting developments, particularly with respect to three proposed determinants of beauty: waist to hip ratio (WHR), body mass index (BMI), and curvaceousness. The goal of our paper is to provide a highly necessary review of contemporary research on the female attractiveness, including an in-depth examination of these factors. In our review, we first discuss WHR, an index of fat deposition, which is calculated by measuring the circumference of the waist compared to the circumference of the hips. WHR is controlled by the sex hormones, and increases as women age, and hence, may influence perceptions of attractiveness. This factor has been hotly contested, as some researchers have claimed that a WHR of approximately 0.7 is universally most attractive, whereas others have found inconsistent findings, or suggest the importance of other factors, such as BMI. Body mass index (BMI), calculated by dividing the body weight (in kilograms) by height (in meters) squared, serves as a measure of body fat. Although WHR and BMI are correlated, they lead to different conclusions, and the importance of BMI as a measure of female attractiveness is debated in the literature. Similar to WHR research, BMI and its role in attractiveness is not cross-culturally consistent and is affected by the availability of resources within a given environment. It may be the case that both WHR and BMI influence female attractiveness. However, there has been little investigation of this possibility. We have explored this issue in our research, which revealed that both influence attractiveness, but in addition, we noticed that curvaceousness was also a factor. Curvaceousness is the degree of "hourglass" shape as determined, for example, by the size of the bust, relative to the circumference of the hips and waist, and the size of the buttocks. However, curvaceousness does not appear to be temporally stable as a marker of attractiveness, and it is not consistent across modes of presentation. For example, models in male-oriented magazines are more curvaceous than models in female-oriented magazines. In summary, faced with these recent findings, it is difficult to ascertain agreement among the various factors, especially when researchers investigate each determinant in isolation. We conclude that, although researchers have made many important initial steps in examining female attractiveness, there remains much to be discovered.
Link
The shape of beauty: determinants of female physical attractiveness.
Fisher ML, Voracek M.
Rarely has one research area gained as much attention as that which is observed for female physical attractiveness. The past decade has resulted in numerous, exciting developments, particularly with respect to three proposed determinants of beauty: waist to hip ratio (WHR), body mass index (BMI), and curvaceousness. The goal of our paper is to provide a highly necessary review of contemporary research on the female attractiveness, including an in-depth examination of these factors. In our review, we first discuss WHR, an index of fat deposition, which is calculated by measuring the circumference of the waist compared to the circumference of the hips. WHR is controlled by the sex hormones, and increases as women age, and hence, may influence perceptions of attractiveness. This factor has been hotly contested, as some researchers have claimed that a WHR of approximately 0.7 is universally most attractive, whereas others have found inconsistent findings, or suggest the importance of other factors, such as BMI. Body mass index (BMI), calculated by dividing the body weight (in kilograms) by height (in meters) squared, serves as a measure of body fat. Although WHR and BMI are correlated, they lead to different conclusions, and the importance of BMI as a measure of female attractiveness is debated in the literature. Similar to WHR research, BMI and its role in attractiveness is not cross-culturally consistent and is affected by the availability of resources within a given environment. It may be the case that both WHR and BMI influence female attractiveness. However, there has been little investigation of this possibility. We have explored this issue in our research, which revealed that both influence attractiveness, but in addition, we noticed that curvaceousness was also a factor. Curvaceousness is the degree of "hourglass" shape as determined, for example, by the size of the bust, relative to the circumference of the hips and waist, and the size of the buttocks. However, curvaceousness does not appear to be temporally stable as a marker of attractiveness, and it is not consistent across modes of presentation. For example, models in male-oriented magazines are more curvaceous than models in female-oriented magazines. In summary, faced with these recent findings, it is difficult to ascertain agreement among the various factors, especially when researchers investigate each determinant in isolation. We conclude that, although researchers have made many important initial steps in examining female attractiveness, there remains much to be discovered.
Link
November 13, 2006
Even facial color is attractive in women
The study I had posted about earlier.
Evolution and Human Behavior
Volume 27, Issue 6 , November 2006, Pages 433-442
Visible skin color distribution plays a role in the perception of age, attractiveness, and health in female faces
Bernhard Fink et al.
Abstract
Evolutionary psychologists have proposed that preferences for facial characteristics, such as symmetry, averageness, and sexual dimorphism, may reflect adaptations for mate choice because they signal aspects of mate quality. Here, we show that facial skin color distribution significantly influences the perception of age and attractiveness of female faces, independent of facial form and skin surface topography. A set of three-dimensional shape-standardized stimulus faces—varying only in terms of skin color distribution due to variation in biological age and cumulative photodamage—was rated by a panel of naive judges for a variety of perceptual endpoints relating to age, health, and beauty. Shape- and topography-standardized stimulus faces with the homogeneous skin color distribution of young people were perceived as younger and received significantly higher ratings for attractiveness and health than analogous stimuli with the relatively inhomogeneous skin color distribution of more elderly people. Thus, skin color distribution, independent of facial form and skin surface topography, seems to have a major influence on the perception of female facial age and judgments of attractiveness and health as they may signal aspects of underlying physiological condition of an individual relevant for mate choice. We suggest that studies on human physical attractiveness and its perception need to consider the influence of visible skin condition driven by color distribution and differentiate between such effects and beauty-related traits due to facial shape and skin topography.
Link
Evolution and Human Behavior
Volume 27, Issue 6 , November 2006, Pages 433-442
Visible skin color distribution plays a role in the perception of age, attractiveness, and health in female faces
Bernhard Fink et al.
Abstract
Evolutionary psychologists have proposed that preferences for facial characteristics, such as symmetry, averageness, and sexual dimorphism, may reflect adaptations for mate choice because they signal aspects of mate quality. Here, we show that facial skin color distribution significantly influences the perception of age and attractiveness of female faces, independent of facial form and skin surface topography. A set of three-dimensional shape-standardized stimulus faces—varying only in terms of skin color distribution due to variation in biological age and cumulative photodamage—was rated by a panel of naive judges for a variety of perceptual endpoints relating to age, health, and beauty. Shape- and topography-standardized stimulus faces with the homogeneous skin color distribution of young people were perceived as younger and received significantly higher ratings for attractiveness and health than analogous stimuli with the relatively inhomogeneous skin color distribution of more elderly people. Thus, skin color distribution, independent of facial form and skin surface topography, seems to have a major influence on the perception of female facial age and judgments of attractiveness and health as they may signal aspects of underlying physiological condition of an individual relevant for mate choice. We suggest that studies on human physical attractiveness and its perception need to consider the influence of visible skin condition driven by color distribution and differentiate between such effects and beauty-related traits due to facial shape and skin topography.
Link
October 20, 2006
Skin tone and attractiveness
This study seems to echo the results of a different German study which I posted a few years ago. According to the older study:
“Shades of Beauty”: Examining the Relationship of Skin Color to Perceptions of Physical Attractiveness
Cynthia M. Frisby
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this research project was to investigate the relationship between skin color and level of perceived physical attractiveness. Previous research suggested that skin color plays an important role in how we perceive an individual's physical attractiveness. The current study was conducted to determine how influential the role of race is on perceptions of physical attractiveness. In this study, 79 subjects were asked to evaluate images of potential endorsers to be used in an upcoming advertising campaign. The images were those of females of varying skin tones. Data were then collected and analyzed to determine whether skin tone and level of skin color can in fact influence the physical attractiveness stereotype.
Link
Additional surveys showed that attractive female faces are narrower than unattractive ones, and that they possess a brown skin and full, well looked-after lips.According to the new study:
Results show an overall main effect of skin tone, suggesting that light brown skin color is perceived by both Caucasian and African American models as more credible and attractive than models who are pale and dark skinned, F(2,71) = 14.7, p < .0001. Consistent with earlier theorizing, images of light brown models yielded more favorable responses than images featuring dark skinned or pale models, F = 18.70, p < .01. Consistent with the proposed relationships stated in hypothesis 1, when the participants were asked to evaluate an individual on the basis of physical attractiveness and credibility, participants in this study found light brown models more credible and more attractive than their counterparts with darker skin.Facial plast Surg 2006; 22: 175-179
“Shades of Beauty”: Examining the Relationship of Skin Color to Perceptions of Physical Attractiveness
Cynthia M. Frisby
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this research project was to investigate the relationship between skin color and level of perceived physical attractiveness. Previous research suggested that skin color plays an important role in how we perceive an individual's physical attractiveness. The current study was conducted to determine how influential the role of race is on perceptions of physical attractiveness. In this study, 79 subjects were asked to evaluate images of potential endorsers to be used in an upcoming advertising campaign. The images were those of females of varying skin tones. Data were then collected and analyzed to determine whether skin tone and level of skin color can in fact influence the physical attractiveness stereotype.
Link
August 30, 2006
"Celts" in Xinjiang
PhDiva criticizes a despicable Independent article titled "A meeting of civilisations: The mystery of China's celtic mummies". As I noted in a discussion list:There is no evidence that the Urumqi mummies spoke Celtic languages, or that they were Europeans, or even Indo-Europeans. The DNA evidence can only be used to show that they were of West Eurasian, not European origin. As for their language, none of them have been accompanied, as far as I know, by any writings. It is reasonable that they might have spoken an Indo-European language, although by no means proven.One of the many idiotic statements in the article:
It is a sad state of affairs that editors allow such misleading information to be published.
The Loulan Beauty, for example, was claimed by the Uighurs as their symbol in song and image, although genetic testing now shows that she was in fact European.The "Loulan Beauty" may be one of the ancestors of the Uighurs, and she certainly belongs to the archaeological heritage of the region. Thus, it is reasonable and understandable that she will be made a symbol by the current inhabitants, however tenuous the connection.
Even the Slavs of Bulgaria identify with the ancient Thracians, the Turks identify with the Hittites and other extinct Anatolians, the Arabs of Egypt identify with the Egyptians, and the modern Germanic-speaking Britons identify with the "Celts". Such sentiments are understandable, albeit naive.
What is not excusable is to excise a part of Central Asian history and claim that it belongs to Europeans, or even more absurdly to Celts. However, we should perhaps excuse the journalist for his misstep, since he lives in a country where even professional geneticists have consistently oversold their research to a credulous public ready to swallow up stories about "Viking", "Celtic", or "Pictish" origins.
August 23, 2006
Breeding Between the Lines
Steve Sailer points me to the website of Breeding Between the Lines, a new book by Alon Ziv:Alon Ziv presents evidence from academic journals, world history, pop culture, and recent census counts to prove that interracial individuals have significant physical and mental advantages. From the sex lives of bedbugs to the remarkable feats of professional athletes, he illustrates how biology influences every aspect of our lives and how the right combination of genes can make all the difference.
I have heard similar views before, and I have three main objections to this hypothesis. If you have read the book, and these objections are covered, feel free to comment.
My first objection is that humans tend to prefer individuals with physical traits similar to themselves. Research on human marriage patterns has established this fact. Therefore, people with average features will tend to be higher rated, because they are more similar to a larger number of people than outliers of phenotypic space. Hence, we would not expect that interracial people who inhabit an underpopulated region of phenotypic space to be highly rated from a group of judges drawn from the population as a whole.
My second objection is that interracial relationships do not occur uniformly in geographical and social space. It is also known that people's attractiveness and health also varies with geography and social class. Therefore, to assess the qualities of interracial individuals we must compare them against uniracial individuals from the same parental background, and not the general population of a particular country.
Thirdly, interracial individuals represent a wider range of phenotypes. In a sense, they represent novel chance combinations of genes from genetically distant populations. Whereas trait complexes are expected to be mostly harmonic within racial groups (since the dysharmonic combinations have been partially culled by evolution), traits inherited from different races may clash, presenting a dysharmonic phenotype. They may also match in an original way, including individuals of great beauty or other qualities. However, we should not judge the entirety of the interracial distribution by its right tail, e.g., the famous athletes, or celebrities of interracial background that we may be familiar with.
Mixed Media Watch doesn't seem to like the book:
I feel like all of my recent posts have been about things I wish didn’t exist. :| I can’t believe this book is actually hitting the shelves. I remember being contacted by the author years ago in my capacity as Swirl’s Executive Director. Once I heard his premise, I refused participation.
June 10, 2006
Even skin tone is best for women
Women’s skin tone influences perception of beauty, health, age, sociobiologists find
Skin discoloration, uneven tone can add years to perceived age
Philadelphia, Penn. (June 9, 2006) -- Using a revolutionary imaging process, a new study is revealing that wrinkles aren't the only cue the human eye looks for to evaluate age. Scientists at the Ludwig-Boltzmann-Institute for Urban Ethology (Austria) and the Department for Sociobiology/Anthropology at the University of Goettingen (Germany), have shown that facial skin color distribution, or tone, can add, or subtract, as much as 20 years to a woman's age. The study is to be presented at the Human Behavior and Evolution Society (HBES) annual meeting, June 7-11, 2006, in Philadelphia, PA. The study used 3-D imaging and morphing software technologies to remove wrinkles and bone structure from the equation to determine the true impact of facial skin color distribution on the perception of a woman's age, health and attractiveness and is currently in the edit acceptance process with the journal Evolution and Human Behavior.
"Until now, skin's overall homogeneity and color saturation received little attention among behavioral scientists. This study helps us better understand that wrinkles are not the only age cue. Skin tone and luminosity may be a major signal for mate selection and attractiveness, as well as perceived age," says lead researcher Dr. Karl Grammer, Founder and Scientific Director of the Ludwig-Boltzmann-Institute for Urban Ethology, University of Vienna, Austria.
Taking digital photos of 169 Caucasian women aged 10-70, the researchers used specialized morphing software to "drape" each subject's facial skin over a standardized bone structure. Other potential age-defining features such as facial furrows, lines and wrinkles were removed. The subjects who were judged to have the most even skin tone also received significantly higher ratings for attractiveness and health, and were judged to be younger in age.
Tone variances can be caused by several factors including cumulative UV damage (freckles, moles, age spots) natural aging (yellowing, dullness) and skin vascularization (redness). Not surprisingly, the study hinted at a positive correlation between the amount of accumulated photodamage and the amount of uneven skin tone.
"Whether a woman is 17 or 70, the contrast of skin tone plays a significant role in the way her age, beauty and health is perceived," says study co-author Dr. Bernhard Fink, Senior Scientist in the Department for Sociobiology/Anthropology at the University of Goettingen, Germany. "Skin tone homogeneity can give visual clues about a person's health and reproductive capability, so an even skin tone is considered most desirable. In this study, we found cumulative UV damage influences skin tone dramatically, giving women yet another reason to prevent UV-related skin damage or try to correct past damage that is causing uneven skin tone."
Skin discoloration, uneven tone can add years to perceived age
Philadelphia, Penn. (June 9, 2006) -- Using a revolutionary imaging process, a new study is revealing that wrinkles aren't the only cue the human eye looks for to evaluate age. Scientists at the Ludwig-Boltzmann-Institute for Urban Ethology (Austria) and the Department for Sociobiology/Anthropology at the University of Goettingen (Germany), have shown that facial skin color distribution, or tone, can add, or subtract, as much as 20 years to a woman's age. The study is to be presented at the Human Behavior and Evolution Society (HBES) annual meeting, June 7-11, 2006, in Philadelphia, PA. The study used 3-D imaging and morphing software technologies to remove wrinkles and bone structure from the equation to determine the true impact of facial skin color distribution on the perception of a woman's age, health and attractiveness and is currently in the edit acceptance process with the journal Evolution and Human Behavior.
"Until now, skin's overall homogeneity and color saturation received little attention among behavioral scientists. This study helps us better understand that wrinkles are not the only age cue. Skin tone and luminosity may be a major signal for mate selection and attractiveness, as well as perceived age," says lead researcher Dr. Karl Grammer, Founder and Scientific Director of the Ludwig-Boltzmann-Institute for Urban Ethology, University of Vienna, Austria.
Taking digital photos of 169 Caucasian women aged 10-70, the researchers used specialized morphing software to "drape" each subject's facial skin over a standardized bone structure. Other potential age-defining features such as facial furrows, lines and wrinkles were removed. The subjects who were judged to have the most even skin tone also received significantly higher ratings for attractiveness and health, and were judged to be younger in age.
Tone variances can be caused by several factors including cumulative UV damage (freckles, moles, age spots) natural aging (yellowing, dullness) and skin vascularization (redness). Not surprisingly, the study hinted at a positive correlation between the amount of accumulated photodamage and the amount of uneven skin tone.
"Whether a woman is 17 or 70, the contrast of skin tone plays a significant role in the way her age, beauty and health is perceived," says study co-author Dr. Bernhard Fink, Senior Scientist in the Department for Sociobiology/Anthropology at the University of Goettingen, Germany. "Skin tone homogeneity can give visual clues about a person's health and reproductive capability, so an even skin tone is considered most desirable. In this study, we found cumulative UV damage influences skin tone dramatically, giving women yet another reason to prevent UV-related skin damage or try to correct past damage that is causing uneven skin tone."
March 30, 2006
The FHM Top-16 composite woman
FHM US magazine has recently announced the results of its 100 sexiest women in the world 2006 poll. Below is an average of the top-16 women according to the readers of the magazine.
March 18, 2006
Skeletofacial morphology and facial attractiveness
Somewhat unrelated, but don't foget to vote in the attractiveness poll.
The Angle Orthodontist: Vol. 76, No. 2, pp. 204–210.
Skeletofacial Morphology of Attractive and Nonattractive Faces
Stamatia Matoula Hans Pancherz
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to answer the question: Is facial beauty related to specific skeletofacial morphology? Thirty attractive (25 females, 5 males) and 32 nonattractive (11 females, 21 males) subjects were compared. Facial attractiveness was assessed by the aid of en-face facial photographs. Skeletofacial morphology was determined using lateral head films. The radiographs were analyzed with respect to sagittal and vertical jaw relationships, facial height, profile convexity, and lip position. The relationship between the skeletofacial variables and “divine” facial proportions was evaluated with a facial disproportion index in the transverse and vertical plane. When comparing attractive with nonattractive females, the attractive females had a larger ANB angle and Wits-appraisal (P < .05 and P < .001, respectively), the soft tissue profile was more convex (P < .01), and the distances of the upper and lower lips to the “Esthetic Line” (E-line) were smaller (P < .01). When comparing nonattractive females with nonattractive males, the males had a larger Wits-appraisal (P < .01), the soft tissue profile was more convex (P < .01), and the distances of the upper and lower lips to the E-line were smaller (P < .01). A significant correlation (P < .05) between the skeletofacial variables and the transverse and vertical facial disproportion indices was found only for the ML/NL angle (transverse: r = −0.73, and vertical: r = 0.68) and for the posterior facial height (transverse: r = 0.80). It could be concluded that facial beauty in frontal view is related only to a minor degree to specific skeletofacial morphology in lateral view. Link
The Angle Orthodontist: Vol. 76, No. 2, pp. 204–210.
Skeletofacial Morphology of Attractive and Nonattractive Faces
Stamatia Matoula Hans Pancherz
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to answer the question: Is facial beauty related to specific skeletofacial morphology? Thirty attractive (25 females, 5 males) and 32 nonattractive (11 females, 21 males) subjects were compared. Facial attractiveness was assessed by the aid of en-face facial photographs. Skeletofacial morphology was determined using lateral head films. The radiographs were analyzed with respect to sagittal and vertical jaw relationships, facial height, profile convexity, and lip position. The relationship between the skeletofacial variables and “divine” facial proportions was evaluated with a facial disproportion index in the transverse and vertical plane. When comparing attractive with nonattractive females, the attractive females had a larger ANB angle and Wits-appraisal (P < .05 and P < .001, respectively), the soft tissue profile was more convex (P < .01), and the distances of the upper and lower lips to the “Esthetic Line” (E-line) were smaller (P < .01). When comparing nonattractive females with nonattractive males, the males had a larger Wits-appraisal (P < .01), the soft tissue profile was more convex (P < .01), and the distances of the upper and lower lips to the E-line were smaller (P < .01). A significant correlation (P < .05) between the skeletofacial variables and the transverse and vertical facial disproportion indices was found only for the ML/NL angle (transverse: r = −0.73, and vertical: r = 0.68) and for the posterior facial height (transverse: r = 0.80). It could be concluded that facial beauty in frontal view is related only to a minor degree to specific skeletofacial morphology in lateral view. Link
December 03, 2005
Evolutionary psychology of Facial beauty
A comprehensive review of the literature; should be useful for anyone interested in this subject.
Annual Reviews of Psychology Vol. 57: 199-226
THE EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY OF FACIAL BEAUTY
Gillian Rhodes
Abstract
What makes a face attractive and why do we have the preferences we do? Emergence of preferences early in development and cross-cultural agreement on attractiveness challenge a long-held view that our preferences reflect arbitrary standards of beauty set by cultures. Averageness, symmetry, and sexual dimorphism are good candidates for biologically based standards of beauty. A critical review and meta-analyses indicate that all three are attractive in both male and female faces and across cultures. Theorists have proposed that face preferences may be adaptations for mate choice because attractive traits signal important aspects of mate quality, such as health. Others have argued that they may simply be by-products of the way brains process information. Although often presented as alternatives, I argue that both kinds of selection pressures may have shaped our perceptions of facial beauty.
Link
Annual Reviews of Psychology Vol. 57: 199-226
THE EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY OF FACIAL BEAUTY
Gillian Rhodes
Abstract
What makes a face attractive and why do we have the preferences we do? Emergence of preferences early in development and cross-cultural agreement on attractiveness challenge a long-held view that our preferences reflect arbitrary standards of beauty set by cultures. Averageness, symmetry, and sexual dimorphism are good candidates for biologically based standards of beauty. A critical review and meta-analyses indicate that all three are attractive in both male and female faces and across cultures. Theorists have proposed that face preferences may be adaptations for mate choice because attractive traits signal important aspects of mate quality, such as health. Others have argued that they may simply be by-products of the way brains process information. Although often presented as alternatives, I argue that both kinds of selection pressures may have shaped our perceptions of facial beauty.
Link
September 14, 2005
The Myths of the 20th century
The first half of the 20th century was dominated by the myth of human inequality. According to this myth, human beings could be ordered in a scale of worth, with some individuals and groups being deemed superior and others inferior.
The second half of the 20th century was dominated by the myth of human identity. According to this myth, human beings were inherently the same, except for cosmetic external differences and the sexual differences necessary for procreation. Any observable differences in health, intelligence, personality, or beauty were deemed to stem from prejudices of the observer or the effects of environmental influences.
The first myth was a consequence of widespread means of transportation, which enabled the meeting of races and cultures. It was also a consequence of quantitative anthropology which enabled the measurement of human beings, and their classification according to measurable quantities such as the cephalic index or the facial angle.
The second myth was a result of the great emancipation movements. Previously marginalized groups, such as women and minorities found themselves in possession of the same rights as white males. It was believed that their previously socially inferior position would soon be changed, and that once people became unprejudiced and educated, then all genders and races would exhibit similar outcomes in life.
The myth of human inequality was the common-sense reaction to the previous Christian worldview of equality of men. People could no longer hold that view once faced with the dramatic differences in appearance, culture, and behavior between different groups. It was common-sense, but wrong, because human beings are not single-dimensional entities and cannot be ordered on a unique scale.
The myth of human identity was the moral reaction to the old society which subjugated a good portion of its population. It was wrong, because the power structures of society are not only the result of prejudice, oppression, and opportunity, but also a manifestation of innate differences between human individuals and groups.
Today, neither human inequality, nor human identity are any longer tenable positions. So, what will be our new myths for the 21st century?
The second half of the 20th century was dominated by the myth of human identity. According to this myth, human beings were inherently the same, except for cosmetic external differences and the sexual differences necessary for procreation. Any observable differences in health, intelligence, personality, or beauty were deemed to stem from prejudices of the observer or the effects of environmental influences.
The first myth was a consequence of widespread means of transportation, which enabled the meeting of races and cultures. It was also a consequence of quantitative anthropology which enabled the measurement of human beings, and their classification according to measurable quantities such as the cephalic index or the facial angle.
The second myth was a result of the great emancipation movements. Previously marginalized groups, such as women and minorities found themselves in possession of the same rights as white males. It was believed that their previously socially inferior position would soon be changed, and that once people became unprejudiced and educated, then all genders and races would exhibit similar outcomes in life.
The myth of human inequality was the common-sense reaction to the previous Christian worldview of equality of men. People could no longer hold that view once faced with the dramatic differences in appearance, culture, and behavior between different groups. It was common-sense, but wrong, because human beings are not single-dimensional entities and cannot be ordered on a unique scale.
The myth of human identity was the moral reaction to the old society which subjugated a good portion of its population. It was wrong, because the power structures of society are not only the result of prejudice, oppression, and opportunity, but also a manifestation of innate differences between human individuals and groups.
Today, neither human inequality, nor human identity are any longer tenable positions. So, what will be our new myths for the 21st century?
April 19, 2005
DNA testing of Xinjiang mummies
Genetic testing reveals awkward truth about Xinjiang’s famous mummies
“I spent six months in Sweden last year doing nothing but genetic research,” Mair said from his home in the United States where he teaches at the University of Pennsylvania.See also this 2004 study on ancient Central Asians from Kazakhstan which essentially agrees with the content of this story, and a paper on a modern Caucasoid-Mongoloid population from Xinjiang.
“My research has shown that in the second millennium BC, the oldest mummies, like the Loulan Beauty, were the earliest settlers in the Tarim Basin.
“From the evidence available, we have found that during the first 1,000 years after the Loulan Beauty, the only settlers in the Tarim Basin were Caucasoid.”
East Asian peoples only began showing up in the eastern portions of the Tarim Basin about 3,000 years ago, Mair said, while the Uighur peoples arrived after the collapse of the Orkon Uighur Kingdom, largely based in modern day Mongolia, around the year 842.
“Modern DNA and ancient DNA show that Uighurs, Kazaks, Krygyzs, the peoples of Central Asia are all mixed Caucasian and East Asian. The modern and ancient DNA tell the same story,” he said.
Mair hopes to publish his new findings in the coming months.
China has only allowed the genetic studies in the last few years, with a 2004 study carried out by Jilin University also finding that the mummies’ DNA had Europoid genes, further proving that the earliest settlers of Western China were not East Asians.
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