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Face inversion effect on perceived cuteness of infant faces
Kana Kuraguchi1, Hiroshi Nittono2
1Osaka University, Japan; Shitennoji University, Japan.
Perception
|September 4, 2023
Summary
The face inversion effect impacts infant cuteness perception. Detailed comparisons reveal poorer discrimination for inverted infant faces, suggesting holistic facial configurations are important.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Background:
- Facial attractiveness judgments in adults are less accurate with inverted faces.
- The 'baby schema' theory suggests infant cuteness relies on elemental features, but its response to face inversion is unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the face inversion effect on perceived cuteness of infant faces.
- To compare cuteness perception with beauty perception using a control dimension.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a rating task and a two-alternative forced-choice (2AFC) task to assess infant face perception.
- Examined both perceived cuteness and beauty of infant faces under upright and inverted conditions.
Main Results:
- The rating task showed no significant inversion effect for cuteness or beauty.
- The 2AFC task revealed significantly poorer discrimination performance for inverted infant faces compared to upright faces for both cuteness and beauty.
Conclusions:
- Infant cuteness and beauty perception are correlated and influenced by holistic facial configurations, especially in detailed comparisons.
- While elemental features may be less affected by inversion, overall perception relies on configural processing, similar to adult face attractiveness.
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