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Cultural and Gender Influences on Facial Attractiveness: A Comparative Study of Japanese and American Raters Using
Takanori Sano1,2, Hideaki Kawabata2,3
1Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Psych Journal
|November 15, 2025
Summary
Facial attractiveness perceptions vary by culture and gender. This study found Japanese and American raters have different preferences for facial features, challenging universal beauty standards.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Anthropology
- Computer Science
Background:
- Facial attractiveness significantly influences interpersonal impressions.
- Historically, attractiveness was deemed universal, but recent findings suggest cultural and individual variations.
- Understanding these diverse evaluations is crucial for cross-cultural psychology and social cognition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how raters' gender, age, and culture affect facial attractiveness judgments.
- To compare attractiveness preferences between Japanese and American participants.
- To identify specific facial features that contribute to attractiveness variations across demographics and cultures.
Main Methods:
- Web-based experiments involving Japanese and American participants.
- Analysis of facial attractiveness ratings using statistical methods.
- Geometric morphometric analysis to examine facial contour preferences.
Main Results:
- Significant positive correlations in attractiveness ratings were observed across gender, age, and culture.
- Geometric morphometrics revealed gender-specific differences in facial contour preferences.
- Japanese raters favored raised eyebrows on attractive males and smaller mouths on attractive females compared to American raters.
Conclusions:
- Facial attractiveness standards are not universal and are influenced by gender and cultural backgrounds.
- Specific facial features, such as eyebrow prominence and mouth size, are culturally and gender-dependently weighted in attractiveness evaluations.
- This research provides a framework for understanding cross-cultural differences in aesthetic preferences and facial perception.
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