Evaluating face trustworthiness: a model based approach

Abstract

Judgments of trustworthiness from faces determine basic approach/avoidance responses and approximate the valence evaluation of faces that runs across multiple person judgments. Here, based on trustworthiness judgments and using a computer model for face representation, we built a model for representing face trustworthiness (study 1). Using this model, we generated novel faces with an increased range of trustworthiness and used these faces as stimuli in a functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging study (study 2). Although participants did not engage in explicit evaluation of the faces, the amygdala response changed as a function of face trustworthiness. An area in the right amygdala showed a negative linear response-as the untrustworthiness of faces increased so did the amygdala response. Areas in the left and right putamen, the latter area extended into the anterior insula, showed a similar negative linear response. The response in the left amygdala was quadratic--strongest for faces on both extremes of the trustworthiness dimension. The medial prefrontal cortex and precuneus also showed a quadratic response, but their response was strongest to faces in the middle range of the trustworthiness dimension.

Atheist horns and religious halos: Mental representations of atheists and theists.

“…One way that trust can signal religiosity is through a person's facial features. In fact, previous research has found that people tend to think that others with pronounced cheekbones, raised inner eyebrows, wide chins, and shallow nose sellions are trustworthy (Todorov, Baron, & Oosterhof, 2008). We predict that mental images of theists would have gestalt facial physiognomies that display positive attributes, especially in the domains of morality and trustworthiness.…”

Effects of Robot Facial Characteristics and Gender in Persuasive Human-Robot Interaction

“…Furthermore, the current research extends earlier research in social psychology (Jeanquart-Barone and Sekaran, 1994;Todorov and Oosterhof, 2011) showing that facial characteristics of a distinctly non-human, robotic social entity can activate trustworthiness judgments and trusting behavior. Earlier research (Todorov et al, 2008(Todorov et al, , 2015 showed that facial characteristics of artificial faces on the screen could influence trustworthiness judgments of human perceivers. Importantly, the current results are the first to show these effects in the context of human-robot interaction.…”

“…It also examines whether facial characteristics engender trust in line with how Todorov et al (2008) found that people judge trustworthiness from photos. Besides, this study also investigates how trust toward a robotic persuader can influence psychological reactance.…”

“…Mathur and Reichling (2016) found that the trustworthiness of a robot varies with the likeness of the robot's face to a human following a general pattern was known as the "uncanny valley" (see Mori, 1970): trustworthiness, in this case, does not increase linearly with human likeness but drops when the agent is very realistic but not yet perfectly human-like. Todorov et al (2008Todorov et al ( , 2015 examined how facial characteristics of a social agent can influence user's trust. They generated pictures of unfamiliar faces to display facial characteristics representing three levels of trust: most trustworthy, neutral, and least trustworthy (Todorov and Oosterhof, 2011).…”

Oxytocin, the peptide that bonds the sexes also divides them

“…During social interactions, we make rapid judgments about new people that determine whether to approach or avoid and shape our future interactions with them (21). Individuals paired with positive valence characteristics are rated as more likeable and approachable but the opposite for those with negative information (22).…”