The human face is anatomically complex and how it is interpreted by others even more so. A face and its expressions tell others a lot from impressions of personality to attractiveness. It has been reported by some researchers, albeit controversial, that the more attractive one is the more intelligent they are believed to be. This is certainly not true as we all know but that is just one of the positive attributes that has been assigned to facial attractiveness.
Although a number of research studies have looked at the relationship between perceived intelligence and facial attractiveness, what specific facial features create this impression has not been studied. The ability to assess intelligence in other people and be accurate in that assessment has obvious important ramifications in many aspects of lift.
In the online journal PLoS One issue 9 2014, a study entitled ‘Perceived Intelligence Is Associated With Measured Intelligence in Men But Not Women’. In this paper, the aim was to determine which facial shape traits create the perception of intelligence as well as those that correlate with actual intelligence. The study used static facial photographs of forty men and forty women and looked at the relationship between measures IQ, perceived IQ and facial shape.
The study found that both men and women were able to accurately evaluate the actual intelligence of men by viewing facial photographs. No such relationship was found between perceived intelligence and IQ in women. Faces that were perceived as highly intelligent are longer vertically with a broader distance between the eyes, a larger nose, a slight upturn to the corners of the mouth, and a sharper and less rounded chin. By contrast, the perception of lower intelligence was associated with broader, more rounded faces with eyes closer to each other, a shorter nose, declining corners of the mouth, and a rounded and larger chin.
These study results suggest that people can accurately gauge the real intelligence of men, but not women, by viewing their faces in photographs. It appears that certain facial shapes in men create an intelligence perception. This may be one of the underlying motivations for men seeking procedures that enhance their nose and jawline which help to create this more desired facial shape.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana