Asymmetry and Symmetry in the Beauty of Human Faces

Abstract

Abstract:The emphasis in the published literature has mostly been on symmetry as the critical source for beauty judgment. In fact, both symmetry and asymmetry serve as highly aesthetic sources of beauty, whether the context is perceptual or conceptual. The human brain is characterized by symbolic cognition and this type of cognition facilitates a range of aesthetic reactions. For example, both art and natural scenery contain asymmetrical elements, which nevertheless render the whole effect beautiful. A further good case in point is, in fact, human faces. Normally, faces are structurally left-right symmetrical content-wise but not size-wise or function-wise. Attractiveness has often been discussed in terms of content-wise full-face symmetry. To test whether or not attractiveness can be gleaned only from the presence of left-right full-faces we tested half faces. Three separate groups of participants viewed and rated the attractiveness of 56 full-faces (women's and men's), their 56 vertical left hemi-faces and 56 vertical right hemi-faces. We found no statistically significant differences in the attractiveness ratings of full-and hemi-faces (whether left or right). Instead, we found a strong and significant positive correlation between the ratings of the hemi-and full-faces. These results are consistent with the view that the underpinning of human facial beauty is complex and that bilateral symmetry does not constitute a principle factor in beauty assessment. We discuss that the highly evolved human brain, compared to other animals, as well as symbolic and abstract cognition in humans enable a wide variety of aesthetic reactions.

Facial asymmetry and genetic ancestry inLatinAmerican admixed populations

“…The main goal of the investigations focused on IA has been the characterization of the "deviation" of a normal bauplan, as a response to a wide array of factors such as sexual selection (Gangestad et al, 2001(Gangestad et al, , 2010, .. heavy working conditions .~d socioeconomic status (Ozener and Fink, 2010;Ozener, 2010a), or attractiveness (Scheib et al, 1999;Gangestad and Thornhill, 2003;Little and Jones, 2003;Rhodes et al, 2009;Zaidel and Hessamian, 2010;Neby and Ivar, 2013). In addition, DA has been reported in humans (Mcintyre and Mossey, 2002;Schaefer et al, 2006;DeLeon, 2007;Ercan et al, 2008;Klingenberg et al, 2010b), although it is considered a subtle phenomenon.…”

Three-Dimensional Facial Asymmetry in Attractive and Normal People from Childhood to Young Adulthood

“…Directional asymmetry is consistently dominant on one side (for instant, heart position), while fluctuating asymmetry relates to traits that are on average symmetric in a population. Fluctuating asymmetry is considered to result from unbalances in growth and development of the various structures, with a reduced capacity of the organism to buffer environmental disturbances and genetic stressors [4,13,14,19,26,[35][36][37]. From this point of view, the assessment of fluctuating asymmetry may provide useful information about the combined action of developmental stress and individual capacity to react.…”

“…For instance, Peck et al [5] found that men and women considered attractive by the general public (beauty competition winners, professional models) had asymmetries in one or more craniofacial skeletal dimensions. Zaidel and Hessamian [36] found that both full and hemi-faces (only right or left side of the face) were rated similarly in terms of attractiveness. Shaner et al [14] did not find an increase in soft-tissue facial asymmetry in syndrome affected individuals as compared to normal persons.…”

“…Despite these theories, not all investigators concord about a strict relationships between facial symmetry and attractiveness from one side, and facial asymmetry and disease (or altered development) from the other side [1,12,18,21,27,36,38]. For instance, Peck et al [5] found that men and women considered attractive by the general public (beauty competition winners, professional models) had asymmetries in one or more craniofacial skeletal dimensions.…”

“…Persons with symmetric faces and bodies suggest to the observer that they possess good genes, a good general health, and are more resistant to diseases and parasites. Symmetric faces become "honest" markers of genotype and phenotype quality: Symmetry reflects the individual ability to maintain a stable development notwithstanding the environmental stress, thus being the result of natural selection [4,13,19,21,23,24,26,36,38].…”