Reinhard_Heini
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The attractiveness of average faces is consistent with certain theories of cognitive processing. The human visual system may develop an indi- vidual representation, or prototype, made up of an average of the characteristics of all the differ- ent stimuli that have been seen. This could mean that individuals may compare a seen face with their stored average representation, and greater similarity to the stored representation could lead to greater liking for average faces because they appear familiar (Langlois & Roggman 1990; Langlois et al. 1994). In this view averageness might be preferred in many domains and indeed averageness is preferred in a variety of stim- uli, such as birds, fish and cars (Halberstadt & Rhodes 2003). It is interesting to note that such studies have supported the idea that part of the attraction to averageness is a general prefer- ence for familiar stimuli but that preferences for averageness can be found when controlling for familiarly, at least for biological stimuli, demon- strating a preference for averageness independent of familiarity (Halberstadt & Rhodes 2003).
Attraction to average representations formed from experience with faces is consistent with studies demonstrating that exposure, or adapta- tion, to faces that possess certain characteristics can increase the perceived normality, concep- tually similar to averageness, and attractiveness of these characteristics (Little, DeBruine, & Jones, 2005; Rhodes et al. 2003b). For exam- ple, if exposed to faces that look like a partic- ular person, then faces that also resemble that person are subsequently seen as more attrac- tive than faces that do not (Little et al. 2005). Further support for the role of experience in generating averageness preferences is found in a cross-cultural study noted previously. When examining preferences for facial averageness in Europeans and African hunter-gatherers, using both European and African faces, Apicella et al. (2007) found that there were preferences for averageness in both types of faces for European judges but only in African faces for the African judges. The European judges are likely to have much experience of both types of face.
Attraction to average representations formed from experience with faces is consistent with studies demonstrating that exposure, or adapta- tion, to faces that possess certain characteristics can increase the perceived normality, concep- tually similar to averageness, and attractiveness of these characteristics (Little, DeBruine, & Jones, 2005; Rhodes et al. 2003b). For exam- ple, if exposed to faces that look like a partic- ular person, then faces that also resemble that person are subsequently seen as more attrac- tive than faces that do not (Little et al. 2005). Further support for the role of experience in generating averageness preferences is found in a cross-cultural study noted previously. When examining preferences for facial averageness in Europeans and African hunter-gatherers, using both European and African faces, Apicella et al. (2007) found that there were preferences for averageness in both types of faces for European judges but only in African faces for the African judges. The European judges are likely to have much experience of both types of face.
