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Physiognomy: Difference between revisions
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Many scientific studies have also linked physical appearance with certain personality/character traits above chance, though most researchers shy away from using the term 'physiognomy' explicitly. | Many scientific studies have also linked physical appearance with certain personality/character traits above chance, though most researchers shy away from using the term 'physiognomy' explicitly. | ||
Often, this research has low effect sizes, small sample sizes, and is potentially unreliable. Part of this may be because this field is controversial and unprestigious and not likely to win individual differences researchers any grant money. Therefore the field | Often, this research has low effect sizes, small sample sizes, and is potentially unreliable. Part of this may be because this field is controversial and unprestigious and not likely to win individual differences researchers any grant money. Therefore, the field likely tends to attract eccentrics and the untalented, or those with a flair for controversy. However, the effect sizes are not out of the range commonly seen in psychological science,<ref>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886916308194</ref> and may have practical applications<ref>https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2515245919847202</ref> especially when the measurement error inherent to this field of research is considered. | ||
Furthermore, proponents of modern physiognomy argue that making decisions based on even a tiny correlation is superior to doing so based on no information. The chances of making a correct prediction increase as certain traits stack on each other. Effectively, if you are trying to predict a particular latent characteristic, the predictive validity increases if the individual possesses several physiognomic markers correlating with that latent trait. This prediction would be more accurate if it were plausible that the latent trait causes the physiognomic characteristics. For example, if an individual had a low digit ratio, lots of body hair (controlling for ethnicity), a broad face, a muscular body, a large penis, and other traits plausibly caused by testosterone, you could argue that it would be likely that such a person would be higher in testosterone than average, and therefore after more likely to exhibit other traits correlated with high testosterone. | Furthermore, proponents of modern physiognomy argue that making decisions based on even a tiny correlation is superior to doing so based on no information. The chances of making a correct prediction increase as certain traits stack on each other. Effectively, if you are trying to predict a particular latent characteristic, the predictive validity increases if the individual possesses several physiognomic markers correlating with that latent trait. This prediction would be more accurate if it were plausible that the latent trait causes the physiognomic characteristics. For example, if an individual had a low digit ratio, lots of body hair (controlling for ethnicity), a broad face, a muscular body, a large penis, and other traits plausibly caused by testosterone, you could argue that it would be likely that such a person would be higher in testosterone than average, and therefore after more likely to exhibit other traits correlated with high testosterone. | ||