Question Are perceptions of intelligence based on facial features accurate?

Angela

Elite member
Messages
21,823
Reaction score
12,327
Points
113
Ethnic group
Italian
Well, the authors claim they are.

See:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160289617300843

I just don't think I buy it. If anyone has access, I'd be interested in more of the particulars.

"Highlights

•The accuracy of intelligence perceptions was assessed in a large sample of twins.
•Intelligence judgements based on facial images significantly correlated with IQ.
•Both stable and transitory facial cues were associated with perceived intelligence.
•Stable face traits mediated the relationship between perceived intelligence and IQ.
•Perceived intelligence and IQ share a familial (genetic and/or environmental) source of variance.


Abstract

Perceptions of intelligence based on facial features can have a profound impact on many social situations, but findings have been mixed as to whether these judgements are accurate. Even if such perceptions were accurate, the underlying mechanism is unclear. Several possibilities have been proposed, including evolutionary explanations where certain morphological facial features are associated with fitness-related traits (including cognitive development), or that intelligence judgements are over-generalisation of cues of transitory states that can influence cognition (e.g., tiredness). Here, we attempt to identify the morphological signals that individuals use to make intelligence judgements from facial photographs. In a genetically informative sample of 1660 twins and their siblings, we measured IQ and also perceptions of intelligence based on facial photographs. We found that intelligence judgements were associated with both stable morphological facial traits (face height, interpupillary distance, and nose size) and more transitory facial cues (eyelid openness, and mouth curvature). There was a significant association between perceived intelligence and measured IQ, but of the specific facial attributes only interpupillary distance (i.e., wide-set eyes) significantly mediated this relationship. We also found evidence that perceived intelligence and measured IQ share a familial component, though we could not distinguish between genetic and shared environmental sources."





 
There was a similar study a few years ago on intelligence perception, which also found that a broader distance between the eyes was associated with higher perceived intelligence for men. But two other traits also correlated: a higher face length and a larger nose.

image


Plos: Perceived Intelligence Is Associated with Measured Intelligence in Men but Not Women, Kleisner at al. 2014
 
A person I know has a doctorate in chemistry from Yale...he's flat out brilliant and he looks closest to the leftmost face labeled "lowered perceived intelligence". I can't side with this study.
 
A person I know has a doctorate in chemistry from Yale...he's flat out brilliant and he looks closest to the leftmost face labeled "lowered perceived intelligence". I can't side with this study.
And how is one person statistically relevant?

Long face, big nose, big eyes... doesn't that remind anyone of Bin Laden?
 
And how is one person statistically relevant?

Long face, big nose, big eyes... doesn't that remind anyone of Bin Laden?
Yea but like just because a guy looks a certain way doesn't mean he's dumb or something.
 
It's been known for ages by Chinese face reading that certain facial features correlate with personality traits. Why can't we believe that? I do.


I also remember reading that modern Chinese create a face reading soft app that can distinguish by 89% if a person has a tendency towards serious crimes. This sounds very scary but it seems to be true, too. I could find only a more general article about it.

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/...-learns-to-identify-criminals-by-their-faces/
 
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo


when a face check should gave a verdict

min 9:39


Ancient Greek used to say
Οια η Μορφη τοιαδε και η Ψυχη
meaning according the form(face form) is the soul.

but is it as we understand it or not?

I believe that face is a mirror,
a mirror on what we have passed, and what we are passing now, or what we achieved etc etc
a human under stress has different face from a man under violent pressure, or from one tired, or from one cheated, etc etc,
so the pain of the soul reflects on face,
and not the face to the soul,
 
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo


when a face check should gave a verdict

min 9:39


Ancient Greek used to say
Οια η Μορφη τοιαδε και η Ψυχη
meaning according the form(face form) is the soul.

but is it as we understand it or not?

I believe that face is a mirror,
a mirror on what we have passed, and what we are passing now, or what we achieved etc etc
a human under stress has different face from a man under violent pressure, or from one tired, or from one cheated, etc etc,
so the pain of the soul reflects on face,
and not the face to the soul,


This I can agree with...you wear your soul, your life on your face.

As for whether your intelligence can be read from certain facial features, I'm not convinced. There's a lot of ethnic groups where rounder faces are common and their members can also have higher intelligence.

Coriolan, it's not large eyes, it's widely spaced eyes, although Bin Laden's eyes were also widely spaced. Wasn't he an engineer by profession?
 

This thread has been viewed 4810 times.

Back
Top