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Journal Article Summary
Social Psychology Article
Morgan Hoffman
Department of Psychology, Liberty University
PSY 512: Social Psychology
Dr. Wood
March 20th, 2025
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Journal Article Summary
Social Psychology Article
Introduction
The journal article “Face Perception: Why Apprearance Matters” by Leslie A Zebrowitz and
Joann M. Montepare (2008) displays how our facial appearance influences how others see and
respond to us. The authors of this article challenge the widely known saying “Don’t judge a book
by it’s cover,” implies that individuals often make snap judgements based on outward appearance
like facial features, that can have real-life consequences. This article also reviews a considerable
amount of other research and makes suggestions for future research that focuses one facial cues
and how they can influence how people are perceived.
Purpose
The authors intentions when writing this article may have been to bring awareness to the impact
that internal biases can have on our social relationships. Focusing on how facial expressions and
outward appearance can shift peoples perspectives in both a positive and negative direction.
Hypothesis
There are four hypotheses that the authors attempt to uncover using the ecological theory to
explain facial overgeneralization. Anomalous Face Overgeneralization, do individuals with facial
features with a lower genetic fitness, tend to receive more negative response due to an
evolutionary response? Babyface Overgeneralization, individuals that present with baby-like
facial features, are perceived as innocent and harmless due to an association to children?
Emotion Face Overgeneralization, individuals who’s facial expressions do not match their
current emotional state perceived differently than their actual internal emotional state. Lastly,
Familiar Face Overgeneralization, those that have facial appearances resemble familiar faces can
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be associated with the personality traits associated with the familiar person, even without actual
evidence?
Methodology
Sample
The journal article incorporated findings and examples from several research articles to support
their hypothesis. There were three different samples that were used to gain information for
hypothesis, young men and their risk for delinquency, comparative data to show the similarities
and differences between women and infants facial expressions, and college student who had
baby-faces.
Measures
The articles authors used a variety of measures to assess facial perception and it’s
overgeneralization effects. Computer modeling techniques were used to analyze symmetry,
averageness, and babyfacedness. The models assessed adult facial features and the degree to
which they could be altered to resemble anomalous or baby faces. The researchers also used
behavioral rating scales, by asking participants to rate a variety of faces on their perceived
warmth, competence, dominances, and trustworthiness. Allowing the authors to determine how
different facial features influence associated traits. The article reviews neuroscience studies that
used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure an individuals amygdala
activation in response to a variety of facial features. The intensity of the activation indicated a
higher emotional response, revealing that anomalous and baby-faces trigger stronger emotional
responses. Lastly, the authors referred to cross-cultural studies to better understand face-based
overgeneralization. These studies compared the perceptions of faces from different cultures,
which indicated a consistent pattern in perception. This supported the idea that biases are caused
by a functional evolutionary need rather than social norms.
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Procedures
The procedure through the studies reviewed in this article mostly involved participants viewing
a series of facial images and detailing their thoughts on their personality based only on
appearance. The behavioral studies had participants look at images that were computer-generated
that were to represent varying degrees of attractiveness, babyfaceness, and facial anomalies.
Participants were asked to rate each face using a Likert scale on warmth, competence,
dominance, and trustworthiness of each face. Researchers were able to quantify facial
characteristics and how they influence social impressions.
In the neuroscientific studies, the procedure was to expose participants to facial images while
they preformed fMRI scans. Using the fMRI researchers were able to measure participants’ brain
activity, focusing on the amygdala, to assess the intensity of emotional response. This study
helped researchers determine whether certain facial characteristics triggered stronger reactions
when compared to average or symmetrical faces.
The cross-cultural study’s procedure involved participants from different countries viewing the
same facial images. Participants were asked to rate different faces with corresponding personality
traits. Using a cross-culture methodology helped researchers assess facial overgeneralization and
its effects by comparing results across several diverse groups.
Results
The results from the reviewed studies supported the hypothesis that faces can be
overgeneralized. Anomalous face overgeneralization hypothesis indicated that people with less
attractive, anomalous, or asymmetrical faces are perceived as less intelligent, competent and
trustworthy. Individuals are more likely to experience discrimination and negative social
outcomes. The babyface overgeneralization hypothesis was supported and found that adults with
babyface are more likely to be perceived as innocent, submissive, and warm. Individual with
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these characteristics are treated with more leniency and are seen as less suitable for leadership
positions. Emotion face overgeneralization results shoed that people with facial features
resembling emotional expressions like anger or sadness are consistently judged as having similar
personality traits. Lastly, the neuroscientific findings confirmed that adults that have baby faces
elicit a similar response in the brain to an actual infant, which reinforces an evolutionary
facebiases for overgeneralization.
Practical Significance
The authors of this article highlighted real-world effects of facial overgeneralization. These
biases influence how individuals are judged in social, professional, and legal settings. An
example would be how babyfaced individuals are more likely to be found innocent when accused
of a crime due to their perceived innocence rather than if they are actually innocent. Or how
individuals with atypical facial features are likely to experience discrimination, along with being
perceived as having a low intelligence level and being untrustworthy.
References
Zebrowitz, L. A., & Montepare, J. M. (2008). Face perception: Why appearance matters. Social
and Personality Psychology Compass, 2(3), 1497-1517. https://doi.org/10.1111/ j.1751-
9004.2008.00109.x
