6,480
edits
Facial width-to-height ratio: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
m
no edit summary
m (having a flat face is due to having a retruded/recessed maxilla, it doesn't appear to have anything to do with fWHR per se. edited lede, and clarified the link between fWHR and female rated male attractiveness per the literature on the topic.) |
mNo edit summary |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
[[File:FWHR-Carré-2008.gif|thumb|right]] | [[File:FWHR-Carré-2008.gif|thumb|right]] | ||
'''Facial width-to-height ratio''' (or short '''FWHR'''), measures how broad the face is in relation to the [[height]] of the face. FWHR was only discovered in the last few years but in that short amount of time it has been found in some studies that fWHR is correlated with such things as dominance, aggression, psychopathy, short term attraction, fighting ability, financial success, risk-taking behavior, trustworthiness, sex drive, status, and | '''Facial width-to-height ratio''' (or short '''FWHR'''), measures how broad the face is in relation to the [[height]] of the face. FWHR was only discovered in the last few years but in that short amount of time it has been found in some studies that fWHR is correlated with such things as dominance, aggression, psychopathy, short term attraction, fighting ability, financial success, risk-taking behavior, trustworthiness, sex drive, status, and prenatal testosterone exposure or adult testosterone levels. | ||
While some of these findings have been replicated, others have been criticized on methodological grounds, or have flatly failed to replicate, such as the purported link between fWHR and adolescent or adult serum testosterone levels.<ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/310461784_Commentary_Facial_Width-to-Height_Ratio_fWHR_Is_Not_Associated_with_Adolescent_Testosterone_Levels</ref><ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329686209_Further_Evidence_that_Facial_Width-to-Height_Ratio_and_Global_Facial_Masculinity_Are_Not_Positively_Associated_with_Testosterone_Levels</ref> | While some of these findings have been replicated, others have been criticized on methodological grounds, or have flatly failed to replicate, such as the purported link between fWHR and adolescent or adult serum testosterone levels.<ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/310461784_Commentary_Facial_Width-to-Height_Ratio_fWHR_Is_Not_Associated_with_Adolescent_Testosterone_Levels</ref><ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329686209_Further_Evidence_that_Facial_Width-to-Height_Ratio_and_Global_Facial_Masculinity_Are_Not_Positively_Associated_with_Testosterone_Levels</ref> | ||
Some studies have also found no significant association between fWHR and anti-social behavior <ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333685699_A_Case_of_Evolutionary_Mismatch_Why_Facial_Width-to-Height_Ratio_May_Not_Predict_Behavioral_Tendencies</ref> or socio-sexuality in women.<ref>https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0200308</ref> | Some studies have also found no significant association between fWHR and anti-social behavior <ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333685699_A_Case_of_Evolutionary_Mismatch_Why_Facial_Width-to-Height_Ratio_May_Not_Predict_Behavioral_Tendencies</ref> or socio-sexuality in women.<ref>https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0200308</ref> | ||
FWHR does not seem to be sexually dimorphic.<ref>Lefevre, C. E., Lewis, G. J., Bates, T. C., Dzhelyova, M., Coetzee, V., Deary, I. J., & Perrett, D. I. (2012). No evidence for [[sexual dimorphism]] of facial width-to-height ratio in four large adult samples. Evolution and Human Behavior, 33(6), 623-627</ref> | FWHR does not seem to be sexually dimorphic.<ref>Lefevre, C. E., Lewis, G. J., Bates, T. C., Dzhelyova, M., Coetzee, V., Deary, I. J., & Perrett, D. I. (2012). No evidence for [[sexual dimorphism]] of facial width-to-height ratio in four large adult samples. Evolution and Human Behavior, 33(6), 623-627</ref> | ||
Despite the considerable hype surrounding fWHR in circles concerned with aesthetics, there is a lack of evidence | Despite the considerable hype surrounding fWHR in circles concerned with aesthetics, there is a lack of evidence directly linking this trait to perceptions of greater male physical attractiveness. A speed dating study conducted in 2014 found a link between higher fWHR in the male participants and greater short-term relationship desirability but this was found to be mediated by perceptions of dominance, as there was no significant correlation between fWHR and women's ratings of the men's physical attractiveness.<ref>https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2727&context=soss_research Valentine KA, Norman PLI, Penke L, Perret DI. 2014. Judging a Man by the Width of his Face: The Role of Facial Ratios and Dominance in Mate Choice at Speed-Dating Events. Psychological Science. 25(3): 806-811</ref> Some studies have even found a weak negative correlation between greater fWHR and physical attractiveness (''r̄'' = -.26).<ref>https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4504483/</ref> This may be partially due to the link between greater fWHR and greater levels of facial adiposity.<ref>https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20301846/</ref> | ||
==fWHR and social perceptions== | |||
There is a seemingly conflicting body of research that links greater fWHR to both greater social status<ref>https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5679545/</ref> and other positive social outcomes (such as greater teacher evaluated performance on school exams, independent of actual academic ability)<ref>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886918301077</ref>, as well as potentially negative social outcomes, such as perceptions of being untrustworthy and more volatile.<ref>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886916309710</ref><ref>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1090513814001640</ref> | |||
This suggests that a man's fWHR can either aid or hinder a man's ability to achieve his interpersonal goals depending on the social context he is competing in, as some studies have found no link between fWHR and greater status attainment in certain corporate hierarchies.<ref>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886916303361</ref> | |||
Perhaps the link between fWHR and social status attainment is dependent on whether the context in such status is attained rewards likability and perceived trustworthiness or mere physical dominance/threat. | |||
Indeed, it has been shown that people display a preference for men with greater fWHR in contexts of physical competition, and intergroup competition (such as contact sports).<ref>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022103115000293</ref> | |||
This may be due to people being more comfortable with aggression toward the outgroup as opposed to within the ingroup (as fWHR is moderately positively correlated with perceptions of aggressiveness, <ref>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1090513814001640</ref> or it may simply be down to the fact that men with higher fWHRs are *actually* more successful at intergroup conflict. A study conducted in 2018 provides support for this hypothesis, as it was found that groups of Chinese business executives with a higher mean fWHR outcompeted other groups in business negotiations.<ref>https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-08880-001</ref> | |||
These negative perceptions can have serious consequences in affecting the decisions people make based on their instinctive appraisals of these men, as people appear to generally treat men with higher fWHR in accord with their superficial negative perceptions of them. This has been found in experimental economic games that involve co-operation and bargaining, such as the one-shot ultimate game, and economic games that involve the choice to either co-operate with, or alternatively, attempt to exploit one's opponent.<ref>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090513816300411</ref><ref>https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0956797610362647</ref> | |||
Some have argued that this is due to a feedback loop forming where men with traits that appear to others to denote anti-social and aggressive tendencies (such as a higher fWHR) are more likely to be excluded by peers from co-operative, mutually beneficial exchanges. It is argued that this exclusion may consequently lead these men to be conditioned into behaving in a more exploitative and aggressive manner towards others, in a self-fulfilling prophesy.<ref>https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3756066/</ref> | |||
The disparate social outcomes of men with greater fWHR indicated by this research may also be simply down to a greater fWHR being associated with traits that may be generally beneficial in attaining social status, but that may pose also pose a greater trade-off in terms of the potential interpersonal costs of pursuing such behaviors: such as psychopathic fearless dominance,<ref>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886913012798</ref> greater levels of psychopathy in general,<ref>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886915005759</ref> actual aggressive behavior (as opposed to just perceptions of aggression potential),<ref>https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4388848/</ref> and a greater achievement drive and ruthless ambition (fWHR was moderately associated with achievement drive but weakly negatively associated with 'praise and polish' in a sample of historical US presidents).<ref>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886912000049</ref> | |||
==Measurement styles== | ==Measurement styles== | ||
| Line 23: | Line 37: | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
*Carré, J. M., & McCormick, C. M. (2008). In your face: facial metrics predict aggressive | *Carré, J. M., & McCormick, C. M. (2008). In your face: facial metrics predict aggressive behavior in the laboratory and in varsity and professional hockey players. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 275(1651), 2651-2656. | ||
*Lefevre, C. E., Lewis, G. J., Perrett, D. I., & Penke, L. (2013). [http://www.larspenke.eu/pdfs/Lefevre_Lewis_Perrett_Penke_in_press_-_fWHR_and_reactive_T.pdf Telling facial metrics: facial width is associated with testosterone levels in men.] Evolution and Human Behavior, 34(4), 273-279. "Measure of fWHR: horizontal lines represent the distance between the upper lip and highest point of the eyelids (upper face height), vertical lines represent the maximum distance between the left and right facial boundary (bizygomatic width). fWHR was calculated as width divided by height." | *Lefevre, C. E., Lewis, G. J., Perrett, D. I., & Penke, L. (2013). [http://www.larspenke.eu/pdfs/Lefevre_Lewis_Perrett_Penke_in_press_-_fWHR_and_reactive_T.pdf Telling facial metrics: facial width is associated with testosterone levels in men.] Evolution and Human Behavior, 34(4), 273-279. "Measure of fWHR: horizontal lines represent the distance between the upper lip and highest point of the eyelids (upper face height), vertical lines represent the maximum distance between the left and right facial boundary (bizygomatic width). fWHR was calculated as width divided by height." | ||
*Loehr, J., & O'Hara, R. B. (2013). Facial morphology predicts male fitness and rank but not. | *Loehr, J., & O'Hara, R. B. (2013). Facial morphology predicts male fitness and rank but not. | ||