Possible Differences in Visual Attention to Faces in the Context of Mate Choice and Competition

Kód výsledku v IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00023752%3A_____%2F25%3A43921490" target="_blank" >RIV/00023752:_____/25:43921490 - isvavai.cz</a>

Nalezeny alternativní kódy

RIV/00216208:11510/25:10495445 RIV/00216208:11120/25:43928184 RIV/00216208:11310/25:10495445

Výsledek na webu

<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-025-03086-6" target="_blank" >https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-025-03086-6</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10508-025-03086-6" target="_blank" >10.1007/s10508-025-03086-6</a>

Jazyk výsledku

angličtina

Název v původním jazyce

Possible Differences in Visual Attention to Faces in the Context of Mate Choice and Competition

Popis výsledku v původním jazyce

Existing research indicates that the shape of various facial regions is linked to perceived attractiveness and perceived formidability. Interestingly, little evidence shows that people directly focus on these specific facial regions during judgments of attractiveness and formidability, and there is little support for the notion that the levels of attractiveness and formidability affect raters&apos; visual attention. We employed eye-tracking to examine visual attention (the number of fixations and dwell time) in 40 women and 37 men, while they assessed 45 male faces in life-sized photographs for attractiveness and formidability. The facial photographs were grouped by varying levels of attractiveness and formidability (low, medium, and high). Our results showed that regardless of the characteristics rated, both men and women paid the most visual attention to the eyes, nose, mouth, and forehead regions. We found statistically discernible variation in visual attention in relation to the rater&apos;s sex or target&apos;s attractiveness levels for other facial features (the chin, cheeks, or ears), but these differences may not be substantial enough to have practical implications. We suggest that the eyes, the nose, and the mouth regions play a central role in the evolution of face perception as regions most salient to the acquisition of informative cues about others. Further, during both attractiveness and formidability judgments, men looked longer at the stimuli than women did, which may hint at increased difficulty of this task for men, possibly because they compare themselves with the stimuli. Additionally, irrespective of sex, raters looked marginally longer at faces with a medium level of formidability than at those with a high formidability level, which may reflect ambiguity of these stimuli and uncertainty regarding assessment. We found no other significantly relationships between the target&apos;s attractiveness and formidability levels and the rater&apos;s visual attention to whole faces.

Název v anglickém jazyce

Possible Differences in Visual Attention to Faces in the Context of Mate Choice and Competition

Popis výsledku anglicky

Existing research indicates that the shape of various facial regions is linked to perceived attractiveness and perceived formidability. Interestingly, little evidence shows that people directly focus on these specific facial regions during judgments of attractiveness and formidability, and there is little support for the notion that the levels of attractiveness and formidability affect raters&apos; visual attention. We employed eye-tracking to examine visual attention (the number of fixations and dwell time) in 40 women and 37 men, while they assessed 45 male faces in life-sized photographs for attractiveness and formidability. The facial photographs were grouped by varying levels of attractiveness and formidability (low, medium, and high). Our results showed that regardless of the characteristics rated, both men and women paid the most visual attention to the eyes, nose, mouth, and forehead regions. We found statistically discernible variation in visual attention in relation to the rater&apos;s sex or target&apos;s attractiveness levels for other facial features (the chin, cheeks, or ears), but these differences may not be substantial enough to have practical implications. We suggest that the eyes, the nose, and the mouth regions play a central role in the evolution of face perception as regions most salient to the acquisition of informative cues about others. Further, during both attractiveness and formidability judgments, men looked longer at the stimuli than women did, which may hint at increased difficulty of this task for men, possibly because they compare themselves with the stimuli. Additionally, irrespective of sex, raters looked marginally longer at faces with a medium level of formidability than at those with a high formidability level, which may reflect ambiguity of these stimuli and uncertainty regarding assessment. We found no other significantly relationships between the target&apos;s attractiveness and formidability levels and the rater&apos;s visual attention to whole faces.

Druh

J_imp - Článek v periodiku v databázi Web of Science

CEP obor

—

OECD FORD obor

30103 - Neurosciences (including psychophysiology)

Projekt

<a href="/cs/project/GA23-05408S" target="_blank" >GA23-05408S: Vztah mezi atraktivitou a fyzickou zdatností napříč percepčními modalitami</a><br>

Návaznosti

V - Vyzkumna aktivita podporovana z jinych verejnych zdroju

Rok uplatnění

2025

Kód důvěrnosti údajů

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Název periodika

Archives of Sexual Behavior

ISSN

0004-0002

e-ISSN

1573-2800

Svazek periodika

54

Číslo periodika v rámci svazku

3

Stát vydavatele periodika

US - Spojené státy americké

Počet stran výsledku

15

Strana od-do

905-919

Kód UT WoS článku

001431101900001

EID výsledku v databázi Scopus

2-s2.0-85218891464