以往研究提出了面孔吸引力的平均性假设,认为平均面孔比合成平均面孔的自然面孔更有吸引力。研究选用吸引力大小不同的自然面孔合成平均面孔,然后采用迫选法比较平均面孔和自然面孔的吸引力,来进一步验证平均性假设。结果表明,无论是男性面孔还是女性面孔,(1)平均面孔吸引力高于大部分自然面孔;(2)存在一定比例的自然面孔吸引力显著高于合成的平均面孔。实验结果说明平均性假设存在局限,高吸引力的自然面孔要比平均面孔更有吸引力。根据这一结果,本研究提出了面孔吸引力的极端性假设。
The averageness hypothesis concluded that the average face was more attractive than component faces,which had been tested and supported in several studies before. In order to test the averageness hypothesis further on, we used faces of different levels of attrac- tiveness to composite average face,and participants were asked to pick out the more attractive one between the average face and a com- ponent face. The result: in beth female faces and male faces, ( 1 ) average face are more attractive than most component faces ; (2) some component faces are more attractive than average face. These results indicate the limitation of the averageness hypothesis : faces with high level attractiveness are more attractive than average face. According to these results, we put forward extreme hypothesis of facial attrac- tiveness.