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Physical attractiveness plays a crucial role in shaping interpersonal attraction, influencing first impressions, social interactions, and long-term relationship dynamics. Psychological research consistently demonstrates that attractiveness affects social evaluations and behavioral outcomes in various contexts.Influence on Social InteractionsResearch has shown that individuals perceived as physically attractive often experience preferential treatment in social and professional settings. One...
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Measuring Attention and Visual Processing Speed by Model-based Analysis of Temporal-order Judgments
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Attention Alters Perceived Attractiveness.

Viola S Störmer1, George A Alvarez2

  • 1Department of Psychology, Harvard University vstormer@fas.harvard.edu.

Psychological Science
|March 12, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Attention can significantly enhance perceived facial attractiveness. Studies show focusing attention on a face makes it appear more attractive, influencing initial impressions.

Keywords:
attentionface perceptionperceptionvisual attention

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Social Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Attention is known to modulate the perception of basic visual features, like contrast.
  • The influence of attention on higher-order perceptual properties, such as facial attractiveness, remains less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether attention can alter the perception of facial attractiveness.
  • To determine if attentional focus impacts higher-level social perception.

Main Methods:

  • Participants judged the relative attractiveness of two faces.
  • A visual cue directed participants' attention to one face per trial.
  • The effect of attention on attractiveness perception was analyzed.

Main Results:

  • Faces attended to were consistently judged as more attractive than unattended faces.
  • This effect was observed regardless of which face was attended.
  • Results ruled out decision or response biases, indicating a perceptual change.

Conclusions:

  • Attention demonstrably alters the perception of facial attractiveness.
  • This suggests attention can influence higher-level cognitive processes and social judgments.
  • Findings imply attention plays a role in forming initial impressions of others.