Craniofacial Abnormalities Divert Attention Away From the Core Features of the Face During Aesthetic Judgments J Lewis, T Foulsham, D Roberson |
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Department of Psychology, University of Essex, United Kingdom
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| The level of cuteness in an infant face influences the elicitation of care-giving behaviour from adults. When making aesthetic judgments about faces, attention is primarily focused on the eyes and nose (Kwart et al, 2012, Perception, 41, 925-938). For infant faces, any factor that diverts attention away from these features may disrupt the perception of cuteness and, in turn, reduce the elicitation of care-giving behaviours from adults. The present study examines the extent to which common craniofacial abnormalities of infancy divert attention away from these core features. Participants were presented with faces that either had no abnormality, a cleft-lip, a haemangioma, or strabismus. The participants judged either how cute, or how attractive they thought each face was on a 7-point scale while their eye movements were tracked. The results showed a significant effect of abnormality type on dwell times for the AOI’s. For images with abnormalities outside the core features there was a significant reduction in the dwell time on the eyes and an increase in the dwell time on the area with the abnormality. Overall, the results demonstrate that craniofacial abnormalities divert attention away from the core features during aesthetic judgments. |
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