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Incomplete faces are completed using a more average face

Robin S. S. Kramer Orcid Logo, Alex Jones Orcid Logo

Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, Volume: 7, Issue: 1

Swansea University Author: Alex Jones Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.1186/s41235-022-00429-y

Abstract

Facial first impressions are known to influence how we behave towards others. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we often view incomplete faces due to the commonplace wearing of face masks. Previous research has shown that perceptions of attractiveness are often increased due to these coverings,...

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Published in: Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications
ISSN: 2365-7464
Published: Springer Science and Business Media LLC 2022
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa60869
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first_indexed 2022-08-23T04:36:08Z
last_indexed 2023-01-13T19:21:19Z
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spelling 2022-09-23T16:16:27.9722683 v2 60869 2022-08-23 Incomplete faces are completed using a more average face a24e1e2a89b0a9120fe03b481a629edd 0000-0003-3600-3644 Alex Jones Alex Jones true false 2022-08-23 HPS Facial first impressions are known to influence how we behave towards others. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we often view incomplete faces due to the commonplace wearing of face masks. Previous research has shown that perceptions of attractiveness are often increased due to these coverings, with initial evidence suggesting that this may be caused by viewers using a mental representation of the average face to complete any missing information. Here, we directly address this hypothesis by presenting participants with incomplete faces (either the lower or upper half removed) and asking them to decide how they thought the actual, full face looked. Participants were able to manipulate the missing half of the face onscreen by increasing or decreasing the averageness of its shape. Our results demonstrated that participants did not select the original versions of the faces but instead chose more average versions when manipulating both the lower and upper face. Further, the typicality of the original image influenced responses, with less typical faces (in comparison with more typical ones) being completed using an even more average version of the missing half of the faces. Taken together, these findings provide the first direct evidence that people utilise an average/typical internal representation when inferring information about incomplete faces. This result has theoretical importance in terms of visual perception, as well as real-world relevance in a time where face masks are commonplace due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal Article Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications 7 1 Springer Science and Business Media LLC 2365-7464 Facial attractiveness; Facial typicality; Positivity bias; Upper- and lower-face; Face morph; Face average 19 8 2022 2022-08-19 10.1186/s41235-022-00429-y COLLEGE NANME Psychology COLLEGE CODE HPS Swansea University Not Required None 2022-09-23T16:16:27.9722683 2022-08-23T05:30:47.3366267 Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences School of Psychology Robin S. S. Kramer 0000-0001-8339-8832 1 Alex Jones 0000-0003-3600-3644 2 60869__25210__1ada9cc5a93348b6b3263479498a7a1a.pdf 60869_VoR.pdf 2022-09-23T16:15:10.0962836 Output 1267499 application/pdf Version of Record true © The Author(s) 2022. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License true eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title Incomplete faces are completed using a more average face
spellingShingle Incomplete faces are completed using a more average face
Alex Jones
title_short Incomplete faces are completed using a more average face
title_full Incomplete faces are completed using a more average face
title_fullStr Incomplete faces are completed using a more average face
title_full_unstemmed Incomplete faces are completed using a more average face
title_sort Incomplete faces are completed using a more average face
author_id_str_mv a24e1e2a89b0a9120fe03b481a629edd
author_id_fullname_str_mv a24e1e2a89b0a9120fe03b481a629edd_***_Alex Jones
author Alex Jones
author2 Robin S. S. Kramer
Alex Jones
format Journal article
container_title Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications
container_volume 7
container_issue 1
publishDate 2022
institution Swansea University
issn 2365-7464
doi_str_mv 10.1186/s41235-022-00429-y
publisher Springer Science and Business Media LLC
college_str Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
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hierarchy_top_id facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
department_str School of Psychology{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences{{{_:::_}}}School of Psychology
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description Facial first impressions are known to influence how we behave towards others. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we often view incomplete faces due to the commonplace wearing of face masks. Previous research has shown that perceptions of attractiveness are often increased due to these coverings, with initial evidence suggesting that this may be caused by viewers using a mental representation of the average face to complete any missing information. Here, we directly address this hypothesis by presenting participants with incomplete faces (either the lower or upper half removed) and asking them to decide how they thought the actual, full face looked. Participants were able to manipulate the missing half of the face onscreen by increasing or decreasing the averageness of its shape. Our results demonstrated that participants did not select the original versions of the faces but instead chose more average versions when manipulating both the lower and upper face. Further, the typicality of the original image influenced responses, with less typical faces (in comparison with more typical ones) being completed using an even more average version of the missing half of the faces. Taken together, these findings provide the first direct evidence that people utilise an average/typical internal representation when inferring information about incomplete faces. This result has theoretical importance in terms of visual perception, as well as real-world relevance in a time where face masks are commonplace due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
published_date 2022-08-19T04:19:20Z
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