RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Symmetry, sexual dimorphism in facial proportions and male facial attractiveness
JF Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences
JO Proc Biol Sci
FD The Royal Society
SP 1617
OP 1623
DO 10.1098/rspb.2001.1703
VO 268
IS 1476
A1 Penton-Voak, I. S.
A1 Jones, B. C.
A1 Little, A. C.
A1 Baker, S.
A1 Tiddeman, B.
A1 Burt, D. M.
A1 Perrett, D. I.
YR 2001
UL http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/268/1476/1617.abstract
AB Facial symmetry has been proposed as a marker of developmental stability that may be important in human mate choice. Several studies have demonstrated positive relationships between facial symmetry and attractiveness. It was recently proposed that symmetry is not a primary cue to facial attractiveness, as symmetrical faces remain attractive even when presented as half faces (with no cues to symmetry). Facial sexual dimorphisms (‘masculinity’) have been suggested as a possible cue that may covary with symmetry in men following data on trait size/symmetry relationships in other species. Here, we use real and computer graphic male faces in order to demonstrate that (i) symmetric faces are more attractive, but not reliably more masculine than less symmetric faces and (ii) that symmetric faces possess characteristics that are attractive independent of symmetry, but that these characteristics remain at present undefined.