Integrating gaze direction and sexual dimorphism of face shape when perceiving the dominance of others.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Controlled laboratory experimental rating study (by design analogy, non-clinical)
PubMed 19911626 · doi:10.1068/p6347
What was done
Participants rated the perceived dominance of face stimuli manipulated across four conditions: masculinised shapes with direct gaze, masculinised shapes with averted gaze, feminised shapes with direct gaze, and feminised shapes with averted gaze, testing for main effects and interactions.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical data, sample sizes, or test statistics. Directionally, faces with direct gaze were rated as more dominant than those with averted gaze, an effect that was stronger for masculinised face shapes than feminised ones. Furthermore, masculinised faces were rated as more dominant than feminised faces when shown with direct gaze, but not when presented with averted gaze.
Why it matters
This demonstrates that social dominance judgments rely on integrative processing of static structural cues (face shape) and dynamic gaze cues, rather than treating them independently.
Limits
The abstract omits sample size, participant demographics, stimulus details (such as the number and sex of base faces), and quantitative effect sizes. Ratings of static manipulated images may not generalize to dynamic, real-world social interactions.
Cited by
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