Perceptual Advantage of Animal Facial Attractiveness: Evidence From b-CFS and Binocular Rivalry

Authors: Shang, J., Liu, Z., Yang, H., Wang, C., Zheng, L., Chen, W. and Liu, C.H.

Journal: Frontiers in Psychology

Volume: 11

eISSN: 1664-1078

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01670

Abstract:

Research has shown that attractive human faces enjoy an advantage in both conscious and preconscious processing. Here we examined whether this preference for attractiveness is exclusive to human faces by measuring participants’ sensitivity to the attractiveness of cat and tiger faces. Experiment 1 measured the time taken to break continuous flash suppression (b-CFS), whereas Experiment 2 measured the dominant time in binocular rivalry (BR). The results showed that attractive cat faces were detected more quickly (Experiment 1) and dominated for longer time in visual awareness (Experiment 2). However, no effect of attractiveness was found for tiger faces in Experiment 1, while attractive tiger faces also dominated for longer time in visual awareness in Experiment 2. The results provide first evidence that the preference for attractive animal faces can be shown involuntarily or without apparent conscious control. The findings suggest that human preference for facial attractiveness may contain an aesthetic element rather than being a purely adaptive means for mate choice.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/34366/

Source: Scopus

Perceptual Advantage of Animal Facial Attractiveness: Evidence From b-CFS and Binocular Rivalry.

Authors: Shang, J., Liu, Z., Yang, H., Wang, C., Zheng, L., Chen, W. and Liu, C.H.

Journal: Front Psychol

Volume: 11

Pages: 1670

ISSN: 1664-1078

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01670

Abstract:

Research has shown that attractive human faces enjoy an advantage in both conscious and preconscious processing. Here we examined whether this preference for attractiveness is exclusive to human faces by measuring participants' sensitivity to the attractiveness of cat and tiger faces. Experiment 1 measured the time taken to break continuous flash suppression (b-CFS), whereas Experiment 2 measured the dominant time in binocular rivalry (BR). The results showed that attractive cat faces were detected more quickly (Experiment 1) and dominated for longer time in visual awareness (Experiment 2). However, no effect of attractiveness was found for tiger faces in Experiment 1, while attractive tiger faces also dominated for longer time in visual awareness in Experiment 2. The results provide first evidence that the preference for attractive animal faces can be shown involuntarily or without apparent conscious control. The findings suggest that human preference for facial attractiveness may contain an aesthetic element rather than being a purely adaptive means for mate choice.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/34366/

Source: PubMed

Perceptual Advantage of Animal Facial Attractiveness: Evidence From b-CFS and Binocular Rivalry

Authors: Shang, J., Liu, Z., Yang, H., Wang, C., Zheng, L., Chen, W. and Liu, C.H.

Journal: FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY

Volume: 11

ISSN: 1664-1078

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01670

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/34366/

Source: Web of Science (Lite)

Perceptual Advantage of Animal Facial Attractiveness: Evidence From b-CFS and Binocular Rivalry.

Authors: Shang, J., Liu, Z., Yang, H., Wang, C., Zheng, L., Chen, W. and Liu, C.H.

Journal: Frontiers in psychology

Volume: 11

Pages: 1670

eISSN: 1664-1078

ISSN: 1664-1078

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01670

Abstract:

Research has shown that attractive human faces enjoy an advantage in both conscious and preconscious processing. Here we examined whether this preference for attractiveness is exclusive to human faces by measuring participants' sensitivity to the attractiveness of cat and tiger faces. Experiment 1 measured the time taken to break continuous flash suppression (b-CFS), whereas Experiment 2 measured the dominant time in binocular rivalry (BR). The results showed that attractive cat faces were detected more quickly (Experiment 1) and dominated for longer time in visual awareness (Experiment 2). However, no effect of attractiveness was found for tiger faces in Experiment 1, while attractive tiger faces also dominated for longer time in visual awareness in Experiment 2. The results provide first evidence that the preference for attractive animal faces can be shown involuntarily or without apparent conscious control. The findings suggest that human preference for facial attractiveness may contain an aesthetic element rather than being a purely adaptive means for mate choice.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/34366/

Source: Europe PubMed Central

Perceptual Advantage of Animal Facial Attractiveness: Evidence From b-CFS and Binocular Rivalry

Authors: Shang, J., Liu, Z., Yang, H., Wang, C., Zheng, L., Chen, W. and Liu, C.

Journal: Frontiers in Psychology

Volume: 11

ISSN: 1664-1078

Abstract:

© Copyright © 2020 Shang, Liu, Yang, Wang, Zheng, Chen and Liu. Research has shown that attractive human faces enjoy an advantage in both conscious and preconscious processing. Here we examined whether this preference for attractiveness is exclusive to human faces by measuring participants’ sensitivity to the attractiveness of cat and tiger faces. Experiment 1 measured the time taken to break continuous flash suppression (b-CFS), whereas Experiment 2 measured the dominant time in binocular rivalry (BR). The results showed that attractive cat faces were detected more quickly (Experiment 1) and dominated for longer time in visual awareness (Experiment 2). However, no effect of attractiveness was found for tiger faces in Experiment 1, while attractive tiger faces also dominated for longer time in visual awareness in Experiment 2. The results provide first evidence that the preference for attractive animal faces can be shown involuntarily or without apparent conscious control. The findings suggest that human preference for facial attractiveness may contain an aesthetic element rather than being a purely adaptive means for mate choice.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/34366/

Source: BURO EPrints