Effects of facial skin pigmentation on social judgments in a Mexican population.

ABSTRACT: People quickly and involuntarily form impressions of others based on their facial physical attributes, which can modulate critical social interactions. Skin pigmentation is one of the most variable and conspicuous facial traits among human populations. Empirical evidence suggests that these variations reflect ancestral ecological selective pressures balancing cutaneous vitamin D synthesis with the protection of the dermis from ultraviolet radiation. Nevertheless, skin pigmentation may currently be subject to additional selective pressures. For instance, the colonial era in Central and South America developed a highly stratified society based on ethnic origins, and light skin pigmentation became associated with higher social status and deference. This association could have originated throu

SUBMITTER: Martinez-Ramirez J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10688750 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature