%0 Journal Article
%T Detection of Propensity for Aggression based on Facial Structure Irrespective of Face Race
%J Evolution and human behavior
%D 2012
%A Short, Lindsey A.
%A Mondloch, Catherine J.
%A McCormick, Cheryl M.
%A Carré, Justin M.
%A Ma, Ruqian
%A Fu, Genyue
%A Lee, Kang
%V 33
%N 2
%P 121-129
%X The human face provides a wealth of information pertaining to the internal state and life-stage history of an individual. Facial width-to-height ratio is a size-independent sexually dimorphic trait, and estimates of aggression made by untrained adults judging own-race faces were positively associated with both facial width-to-height ratio and actual aggressive behavior. Given the significant adaptive value of accurately detecting aggressiveness based on facial appearance, we hypothesized that aggression estimates made by adults and 8-year-olds would be highly correlated with male facial width-to-height ratio even for a face category with which they had minimal experience-other-race faces. For each of the four race and age groups, estimates of aggression were positively correlated with facial width-to-height ratio irrespective of rating own-or other-race faces. Overall, the correlations between facial width-to-height ratio and ratings of aggression were stronger for adults than for children. Sensitivity to facial width-to-height ratio appears to be part of an evolved mechanism designed to detect threats in the external environment. This mechanism is likely broadly tuned and functions independently of experience.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
%G en
%I Elsevier Publishing
%@ 1090-5138
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2011.07.002