Facial Symmetry - Health and Physical Attractiveness

Health and Physical Attractiveness

Facial Symmetry has been shown to have an effect of ratings of attractiveness in human faces. More symmetrical faces are perceived as more attractive in both males and females, although facial symmetry plays a larger role in judgments of attractiveness concerning female faces. A wide variety of methods has been used to examine the claim that facial symmetry plays a role in judgments of beauty. Blending of multiple faces to create a composite and face-half mirroring have been among the techniques used. While studies employing the first method produced results that indicate that more symmetrical faces are perceived as more attractive, studies applying the later method have indicated that humans prefer slight asymmetry. This has led to the emergence of the theory that initial findings that facial symmetry plays a role in judgments of attractiveness are merely due to artifacts created when blending faces, such as a smoother skin texture. However this claim has been refuted, as it has been shown that mirroring face-halves creates artificial features. For example if the nose of an individual is slightly bent to the right side, then mirroring the right side of the face will lead to an over-sized nose, while mirroring the left side will lead to an unnaturally small nose. Therefore facial symmetry’s role in judgments of attractiveness is no longer disputed, as the method providing confounding evidence has been proven to be faulty.

Evolutionary theorists in biology and psychology argue that more symmetric faces are preferred because symmetry is a possible honest sign superior genetic quality and developmental stability. However it is possible that high facial symmetry in an individual is not due to their superior genetics but due to a lack of exposure to stressors during development. This potentially confounding source of facial symmetry is not explored in the literature. The notion that facial symmetry is viewed by humans as an indicator of ‘good genes’ is supported by experiments demonstrating that more symmetrical faces are rated as healthier than less symmetrical faces.

Facial symmetry is also a valid marker of cognitive aging. Males with more symmetric faces in old age have higher intelligence and are more efficient at information processing than males with less symmetric faces. This is possibly due to the better genes leading to more resistance against stressors in life which is then reflected in less accumulated fluctuating asymmetry.

Non-scientific theories of attraction and symmetry abound. For instance the conjunction "of similar and related parts that are to some extent contrasted to one another" has been considered to have the most aesthetic appeal. Likewise shared features echoism, proportions and similarity to people the person bonded to early in life (prima copulism) have been suggested as relevant.