Abstract
Abstract. Although phrenology and physiognomy have been considered a pseudoscience, most people make consistent judgments based on faces. Though their knowledge may not be expressed in words, it involves stereotypes widespread across a given culture. Aim: to determine the relationships between perception of facial asymmetry and personality traits associated with stereotypical judgements. Materials and methods: 151 volunteers were recruited – 71% female (mean age 25.4 years, SD = 6.98) and 29% male (mean age 25.9 years, SD = 8.29). A new assessment method has been proposed: participants in addition to classifying 21 Caucasian male gray-scale facial images and their mirror images into one of three categories (symmetric, right asymmetric or left asymmetric) were asked to rate on a one to seven scale 19 polar opposite personality traits. Chi-squared test, ANOVA, independent t-tests, rank correlations were analyzed with SPSS Statistics Version 27. Results: Statistically significant differences were found among left asymmetry, right asymmetry, and symmetry classifications in the patterns of assessed personality traits; between the personality traits of the unaltered faces and their mirror images; faces judged as asymmetric and faces judged as symmetric; faces judged as asymmetric and symmetric by females; extreme right asymmetric faces and extreme left asymmetric faces. Significantly greater statistical differences were found for attributed personality traits of honest, calm, athletic, sociable, and distinctive. Conclusion: The detection that most of the socially desirable traits were found in the top five faces perceived as extremely right asymmetric rather than the top five extremely left asymmetric is most intriguing and warrants further research.
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