Occlusion of faces by sanitary masks improves facial attractiveness of other races

ABSTRACT: Recent studies provide mixed results regarding whether the perception of facial attractiveness is increased or decreased by partial occlusion with a sanitary mask. One set of studies demonstrated that occluding the bottom half of a face increased facial attractiveness. This effect is thought to occur because the occluded area is interpolated by an average facial representation that is perceived as attractive. However, several groups of studies showed that partial occlusion can increase or decrease perceived attractiveness depending on the attractiveness of the original (unoccluded) face, due to regression to the mean. To reconcile this inconsistency, we propose that the occluded area is interpolated not by an average facial representation, but by a template of moderate attractiveness, shap

SUBMITTER: Kamatani M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9878602 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature