Facial beauty and the late positive component of event‐related potentials

Abstract

Research on facial attractiveness provided a method for changing the affect elicited by computer‐generated facial images by manipulating facial features and proportions. Twenty‐five male volunteers were individually exposed to a sequence of male and female computer‐generated faces, presented in a random order, during three experimental sessions. Event‐related potentials (ERPs), the electroencephalographic activity immediately following each stimulus presentation, were recorded from each participant as he viewed the stimulus material. During a final experimental session, participants were required to rate each face using a five‐point scale of physical attractiveness. Based on prior research, it was hypothesized that a late positive component (LPC) of the ERPs elicited by facial images would increase with the physical attractiveness of the face. The results indicated that (a) the LPC, with a parietal greater than frontal scalp distribution, was correlated with the beauty rating of female faces; (b) modified facial proportions enhanced both the beauty rating and LPCs to female faces, but not male faces; (c) other features previously shown to enhance facial beauty also systematically increased both the LPC and attractiveness ratings. The results are interpreted as support for a “fertility hypothesis” of female facial beauty and an “affective value” interpretation of the LPC.