In Your Face - One week with David Perrett

David Perrett (University of St. Andrews)

Series of lectures

24. 10. 2016 (Monday) 10:20-12:00 : Face Perception and Human Attraction Beauty from a biological perspective I : Sexual selection for disease immunity and paternal support   A central assumption of evolutionary theory is that females are attracted to males who display signs of health and immunity to disease. Testosterone is thought to handicap the immune system and benefit attractiveness through thishandicap because only males with a superb immune system can afford to display the effects of testosterone on body growth. Well that’s the theory but is there any evidence.

25. 10. 2016 (Tuesday) 9:30 - 11.10 : Face Perception and Human Attraction Beauty from a biological perspective II - Sex hormonal influences on face preferences: changes within individuals   There are marked sex differences in attraction to faces; furthermore there are marked changes in preferences within the same individual. This topic explores the correlations between levels of sex hormones (testosterone, progesterone and oestrogen) with attraction to signs of health and masculinity/femininity in adult faces and cuteness in infant faces.  

25. 10. 2016 (Tuesday) 15:00 - 16:20 : Universal and individual aesthetics I. Universal, individual and cultural differences in face preferences    There are characteristics that are appear universally attractive; yet fortunately, we do not all fancy the same people. This topic explores the role of the environment, culture and the basis of differences in opinion about the attractiveness of particular facial characteristics.  

26. 10. 2016 (Wednesday) 9:30 -11:10 Universal and individual aesthetics II.  Intra-sexual competition and preferences   Most research on human attraction investigates female choice of male characteristics - inter-sexual selection. Competition between individuals of the same sex (intra-sexual selection) is equally important in evolution and aesthetics. Indeed, competition has a wide influences on everyday life (e.g. shopping) and romance. 

27.10. 2016 9:30 -11.10 Health and beauty I.  Face cues to current health   While a sex typical appearance and symmetry have been considered signs) of health for decades, other facial characteristics may provide more reliable cues to current health? For example skin colour may provide a cue to sickness and multiple aspects of a healthy lifestyle.   

27.10.2016 (Thursday) 13:00 -15.00 Developmental influences on attraction I. Early life, stress and sexual maturation   Infants demonstrate reactions to faces from very early in life so some aspects of face perception appear innate. Yet early experience also shapes preferences. Indeed, the faces that infants see in the family and even in story books have a profound effect on their perceptual interests.  The absence of a father in the first 5 years can mean girls develop faster and reach puberty 6 months earlier. Family relations and speed of development have equally powerful effects on appearance and on partner preferences.   

28.10.2016 (Friday) 9:30 -11.10 Developmental influences on attraction II. Learning from family and from peers   Family characteristics defined through odour or facial resemblance may be attractive or unattractive in potential partners. Family characteristics are also important in parental attraction to offspring. Paternity for humans may be uncertain. Given this uncertainty what influences a father to invest in children that may or may not be his biological offspring? While it is clear we learn from our family, it is also becoming evident that we learn from peers and what they think is attractive.