(Press-News.org) Contact information: Ute Schoenfelder
presse@uni-jena.de
Friedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena
Faces we don't forget
Psychologists at the University of Jena, Germany, explain how attractiveness prevents the recognition of faces
Great eyes, full lips and harmonious features: actress Angelina Jolie is in possession of all of these. That she is regarded as the epitome of female attractiveness doesn't come as a surprise for Dr. Holger Wiese of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Germany). "Her features combine many factors which contribute to the attractiveness of a face," the psychologist says. In his research, he mostly deals with the perception of faces. "On the one hand we find very symmetrical and rather average faces appealing," he explains. "On the other hand, people who are perceived as being particularly attractive stand out by additional traits, which distinguish them from the average." Apart from being attractive, features like big eyes or a distinctively shaped mouth ensure a high recognition value. "We tend to remember those faces well," according to Wiese.
But this isn't generally true for all attractive people – as Wiese and his colleagues, Carolin Altmann and Professor Dr. Stefan Schweinberger are showing in a new study. In the science magazine "Neuropsychologia" the psychologists write that attractive faces without particularly remarkable features leave much less distinctive impressions on the memory (DOI: 10.1016./j.neuropsychologia. 2013.12.023). "We could show that the test subjects were more likely to remember unattractive faces than attractive ones, when the latter didn't have any particularly noticeable traits," Holger Wiese says.
For their research the psychologists of Jena University showed photos of faces to their test subjects. One half of the faces were considered as being more attractive, the other half as less attractive and all of them were being thought of as similarly distinctive looking. The test subjects were shown the faces only for a few seconds to memorize them. During the ensuing test phase they were again shown faces and they had to decide if they recognized them.
The scientists were surprised by the result: "Until now we assumed that it was generally easier to memorize faces, which are being perceived as attractive – just because we prefer looking at beautiful faces", according to Wiese. But the new scientific results are showing that such a correlation cannot be easily sustained. Moreover, Wiese and his colleagues assume that the recognition in the case of attractive faces is distorted by emotional influences which exacerbate the recognition at a later time. This is suggested by evidence from the EEG-recordings during the memory tests, which the scientists rely upon in their new publication.
Additionally the Jena psychologists' study revealed a further interesting secondary aspect: In the case of attractive faces, scientists detected considerably more false positive results. In other words: in the test phase the test persons stated that they recognized a face without having seen it before. "We obviously tend to believe that we recognize a face just because we find it attractive", Wiese supposes.
INFORMATION:
Original Publication:
Wiese H et al.: Effects of attractiveness on face memory separated from distinctiveness: Evidence from event-related brain potentials. Neuropsychologia (2014), doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2013.12.023
Contact:
PD Dr. Holger Wiese
Institut für Psychologie der Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
Am Steiger 3 / Haus 1
07743 Jena
Germany
Phone: ++49 (0)3641 945185
Email: holger.wiese@uni-jena.de
Faces we don't forget
Psychologists at the University of Jena, Germany, explain how attractiveness prevents the recognition of faces
2014-02-04
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Teens who consume energy drinks more likely to use alcohol and drugs
2014-02-04
Philadelphia, Pa. (February 4, 2014) – Nearly one-third ...
Mouse study shows gene therapy may be possible cure for Hurler syndrome
2014-02-04
CINCINNATI – Researchers used blood platelets and bone marrow cells to deliver potentially curative gene therapy to mouse models of the human genetic disorder Hurler ...
Scientists turn primitive artificial cell into complex biological materials
2014-02-04
It is a big dream in science: To start from scratch with simple artificial microskopic building blocks and end up with something much more complex: living systemts, novel computers or every-day ...
Sun spits out mid-level solar flare
2014-02-04
The sun emitted a mid-level solar flare, beginning at 11:57 p.m. EST on Feb. 3, 2014, and peaking at midnight EST. NASA released images of the flare as captured ...
Diamond defect boosts quantum technology
2014-02-04
Washington, D.C.—New research shows that a remarkable defect in synthetic diamond produced by chemical vapor deposition allows researchers to measure, witness, and potentially manipulate electrons in a manner that could ...
The case for tele-emergency services
2014-02-04
New research from the University of Iowa supports the claim that tele-emergency services can successfully extend emergency care ...
Immune cells need a second opinion
2014-02-04
Bacterial urinary tract infections are a painful nuisance. A team of researchers led by scientists ...
GW researcher finds connection in pathogenesis of neurological diseases, HIV
2014-02-04
WASHINGTON (Feb. 4, 2014) – A new study by George Washington University (GW) researcher Michael Bukrinsky, M.D., Ph.D., shows similarities in the pathogenesis of prion disease — misfolded ...
Thousands of unvaccinated adults die each year from preventable diseases
2014-02-04
AURORA, Colo. (Feb. 4, 2014) – While adults make up 95 percent of those who die annually from vaccine preventable diseases, ...
Study finds high Rx burden for bipolar patients
2014-02-04
A study of 230 patients with bipolar I disorder whose symptoms were severe enough to warrant admission to a Rhode Island psychiatric hospital in 2010 reveals that more than a third were there despite taking four ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Less intensive works best for agricultural soil
Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation
Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests
Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome
UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership
New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll
Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes
University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025
Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025
AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials
New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age
Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker
Chips off the old block
Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia
Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry
Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19
Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity
State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections
Young adults drive historic decline in smoking
NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research
Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development
This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack
FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology
In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity
Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects
A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions
AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate
Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative
Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine
Mission accomplished for the “T2T” Hong Kong Bauhinia Genome Project
[Press-News.org] Faces we don't forgetPsychologists at the University of Jena, Germany, explain how attractiveness prevents the recognition of faces