Symmetry and perceived facial attractiveness: A monozygotic co-twin comparison.

Mealey, Linda; Bridgstock, Ruth; Townsend, GC

doi:10.1037/0022-3514.76.1.151

Cited by 205 publications

(117 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…In addition, they replicate earlier positive correlations between symmetry and attractiveness (Grammer & Thornhill, 1994;Jones & Hill, 1993;Zebrowitz et aI., 1996). They are also consistent with a recent report that symmetry differences between identical twins correlate positively with differences in attractiveness (Mealey & Townsend, 1998).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Facial symmetry and the perception of beauty

Rhodes

Proffitt

Grady

et al. 1998

Psychonomic Bulletin & Review

435

316

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Evolutionary, as well as cultural, pressures may contribute to our perceptions of facial attractiveness.Biologists predict that facial symmetry should be attractive, because it may signal mate quality. We tested the prediction that facial symmetry is attractive by manipulating the symmetry of individual faces and observing the effect on attractiveness, and by examining whether natural variations in symmetry (between faces) correlated with perceived attractiveness. Attractiveness increased when we increased symmetry, and decreased when we reduced symmetry, in individual faces (Experiment 1), and natural variations in symmetry correlated significantly with attractiveness (Experiments 1 and lA). Perfectly symmetric versions, made by blending the normal and mirror images of each face, were preferred to less symmetric versions of the same faces (even when those versions were also blends) (Experiments 1 and 2). Similar results were found when subjects judged the faces on appeal as a potential life partner, suggesting that facial symmetry may affect human mate choice. We conclude that facial symmetry is attractive and discuss the possibility that this preference for symmetry may be biologically based.The question of what makes a face attractive, and whether our preferences come from culture or biology, has fascinated scholars for centuries. Variation in the ideals of beauty across societies and historical periods suggests that standards of beauty are set by cultural convention. Recent evidence challenges this view, however, with infants as young as 2 months of age preferring to look at faces that adults find attractive (Langlois et aI., 1987), and people from different cultures showing considerable agreement about which faces are attractive

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Facial symmetry and the perception of beauty

Rhodes

Proffitt

Grady

et al. 1998

Psychonomic Bulletin & Review

435

316

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Studies of naturally occurring human facial asymmetries provide evidence that symmetrical faces are attractive, showing that measured symmetry is positively correlated with attractiveness judgements (facialmetric measures (Grammer & Thornhill 1994;Scheib et al 1999;Jones et al 2001) and psychophysical measures (Mealey et al 1999;Penton-Voak et al 2001)). Consistent with preferences for naturally occurring symmetry in real faces, four recent computer graphic studies (Rhodes et al 1998(Rhodes et al , 2001bPerrett et al 1999;Little et al 2001; but see Swaddle & Cuthill 1995) have shown preferences for faces manipulated to increase symmetry.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence against perceptual bias views for symmetry preferences in human faces

Little

Jones

2003

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

111

106

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Symmetrical human faces are attractive. Two explanations have been proposed to account for symmetry preferences: (i) the evolutionary advantage view, which posits that symmetry advertises mate quality and (ii) the perceptual bias view, which posits that symmetry preferences are a consequence of greater ease of processing symmetrical images in the visual system. Here, we show that symmetry preferences are greater when face images are upright than when inverted. This is evidence against a simple perceptual bias view, which suggests symmetry preference should be constant across orientation about a vertical axis. We also show that symmetry is preferred even in familiar faces, a finding that is unexpected by perceptual bias views positing that symmetry is only attractive because it represents a familiar prototype of that particular class of stimuli.

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“…3 Clinically, left-right symmetry of the underlying skeletodental structures generally is a treatment goal, 4,5 and studies suggest that symmetric faces are deemed more attractive. 6,7 Some asymmetries are acquired, for example, because of chewing side preference 8 or trauma, 9,10 but most left-right differences have no specific, identifiable etiology. 11,12 Most asymmetries are subtle, requiring precise bilateral comparisons for their detection.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bilateral Asymmetry in the Tooth Relationships of Orthodontic Patients

Harris

Bodford

2007

The Angle Orthodontist

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Objective: To quantify the nature and extent of bilateral dentoalveolar asymmetries in routine adolescent orthodontic patients. Materials and Methods: Eight left-right pairs of occlusal dimensions were measured from dental casts (n ϭ 211 subjects) with proportionate samples of class I, II, and III malocclusions. Results: Directional asymmetry is a subtle, but pervasive feature of the dental arches, with systematically larger dimensions on the left side. Prior studies attribute this sidedness to compensations for hemispheric laterality. Patient's sex did not influence the magnitude of asymmetry, but patients with class II malocclusion exhibited significantly greater asymmetries, particularly in the anterior segment. Inspection suggests that this is attributable to the lack of coupling and guidance of the teeth between the jaws. There is a significant association between the severity of class II buccal-segment relationship and the extent of left-right asymmetries. Conclusion: Clinically, these lateralities need to be anticipated, particularly in class II malocclusions, and incorporated into the treatment plan.

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Symmetry and perceived facial attractiveness: A monozygotic co-twin comparison.

Cited by 205 publications

References 62 publications

Facial symmetry and the perception of beauty

Facial symmetry and the perception of beauty

Evidence against perceptual bias views for symmetry preferences in human faces

Bilateral Asymmetry in the Tooth Relationships of Orthodontic Patients

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