Abstract
Faces are a valuable source of non-verbal information for daily life social interaction. Mounting evidence points to gender specificity in face perception. Here we search for the factors that can potentially trigger gender differences in tuning to faces. By using a set of Face-n-Food images slightly bordering on the Giuseppe Arcimboldo style, we examine: (i) whether face resemblance is linked to gender specific face impression, and, if so, whether this association is perceiver gender specific; and (ii) whether images most resembling a face are also most likable for female and male perceivers. First, in a spontaneous recognition task, participants were shown a set of Face-n-Food images in a predetermined order from the least to most resembling a face. Then in a two-alternative forced-choice (2AFC) task, participants judged whether each face appeared for them (i) either female or male (Exp. 1); or (ii) either likable or unlikable (Exp. 2). Remarkably, face resemblance is closely connected to gender specific impressions: images more resembling a face elicit also more female-face responses. This link is not perceiver gender specific as it occurs for both females and males. Moreover, face resemblance is positively linked to face likability, but this holds true only for female perceivers. The findings shed light on gender specificity in tuning to faces, and help to clarify abnormalities of the social brain in neurodevelopmental, psychiatric and psychosomatic disorders.
Highlights
Faces and bodies provide us with a wealth of socially relevant information [1,2,3,4,5,6]
In the pilot study we examined a possible link between gender specific impressions and face resemblance that was determined earlier for the Face-n-Food images by other perceivers [17]
As the link between face resemblance and ladylike face impression found in the present study occurs in both female and male perceivers, it is unlikely that gender impression alone can account for better face tuning in females reported earlier on the Face-n-Food task [17]
Summary
Faces and bodies provide us with a wealth of socially relevant information [1,2,3,4,5,6]. Females are widely believed to be more proficient in perception and understanding of non-verbal social communication signals They are faster in discrimination of emotional from neutral pointlight body motion and more accurate in recognition of neutral body motion (such as walking or jumping on the spot) [7]. In females, increased functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) activity is found during viewing point-light body motion (playing pat-a-cake and peek-a-boo) over the regions constituting the social brain [9]. Gender differences in both emotional body language reading and PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0157636. Gender differences in both emotional body language reading and PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0157636 June 28, 2016
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
