[The facial profile and personality picture in children]

Facial skeletal malformations may not only lead to impaired function, but also diminish psychosocial well-being. Negative social experiences often arise from stereotyped character judgments such as those connected with the profile of the jaw. In this study, 146 orthodontic patients aged between nine and 14 years and student control subjects judged silhouettes of typical Angle class I, II/1 and III profiles on the basis of semantic differential and sociometric choice techniques. Moreover, the satisfaction of the subjects with the appearance of their heads and bodies, as well as their self-perceived personalities, were assessed with the aid of psychological inventories. Class II/1 profiles were characterised as rather shy, reserved, and melancholic, while to class III profiles were attributed reduced social acceptance and less popularity at school. In general, judgement of the silhouette profiles proved to be independent of the judge's own profile. Thus, the existence of trait stereotypes vis-á-vis class II/1 and class III profiles can be confirmed experimentally in children, too. The impact of social stereotypes on psychological well-being, however, is likely to be modified by numerous factors, in particular by social interaction.