How old was she? The accuracy of assessing the age of adolescents' based on photos

Information on the degree to which individuals can make accurate estimations of someone's age can be of importance in different legal contexts, such as for example child sexual abuse cases in which the victim is an adolescent and asylum procedures. There is, however, a scarcity of studies concerning age estimations conducted with young target persons. Using facial photos of target persons aged 12-18 years, we investigated the effects of gender, age, and ethnicity of both targets (n = 240) and observers (n = 869) on the accuracy of age estimation. We also investigated the effects of targets' facial expressions (neutral or smiling), use of makeup, and photo quality. Participants overestimated the age of the adolescents by, on average, 3.51 years. Participants overestimated the age of young adolescent girls to a greater extent than that of younger boys. Men made larger overestimations than women. Participants also estimated smiling targets as being older than targets with neutral facial expression, and the age of girls with makeup to be older than girls without makeup. Because there was considerable variation in the accuracy of estimations, and overestimates were common, we conclude that the ability of individuals to estimate the age of adolescents is generally low. This might have important legal implications.Peer reviewe

The accuracy of assessing ages of adolescents - effects of gender, age, ethnicity and situational factors

When people make judgements about other people’s ages, their estimation is based on many different characteristics of the observed person as well as personal characteristics of the observer themselves. Age estimations can be of a crucial importance in numerous judicial and day-to-day contexts, such as in situations where age of sexual consent or age limit to buy alcohol are taken into consideration. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the possible factors causing bias to age estimations. People have been found to estimate adolescents as older than their biological age, a tendency that seems to be particularly strong when assessing the ages of girls. However, not many studies regarding age estimation exist, and in particular there is a scarcity of studies conducted with young target persons. The purpose of the study was to investigate how accurate age estimations are, and the effects of gender, age and ethnicity of both targets and observers on age estimation. Also, the effects of target’s facial expression, the use of makeup (in female targets) and the estimated picture’s qualities (standardized and unstandardized) were investigated. The study was conducted via an Internet-based survey. A total of 868 participants, aged 15-67 years, made age estimations of facial pictures of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18 years. Overall, 240 pictures of girls and boys were used in the study. Supporting earlier research findings, the results revealed a tendency to overestimate the ages of adolescents. On average, the ages of adolescents were overestimated by 3.51 years. The ages of young girls were overestimated to the greater extent than the ages of young boys, but such a difference was not found in older age groups. Also, male participants overestimated the ages of targets more than female participants. The age of the estimator did not affect age estimation accuracy, and neither did ethnicity affect estimation accuracy. Target persons who were smiling in the picture were estimated to be older than those having a neutral facial expression, and girls wearing makeup were estimated being older than girls not wearing makeup. Participants also made higher age estimations from standardized pictures of female targets than unstandardized pictures of female targets, whereas such effect was not found in the analysis including both female and male targets. In sum, while the ages of both girls and boys were overestimated, the overestimation was greatest in a group of young girls. This may be of relevance in some judicial contexts, for instance in alleged child sexual abuse cases. The study draws attention to people’s sometimes poor age estimation accuracy and raises concern about the reliability of the estimations. The results reveal important information about factors potentially biasing age estimation accuracy. As some of the factors have not been studied before, replication studies are needed to verify the associations

The accuracy of assessing ages of adolescents - effects of gender, age, ethnicity and situational factors

When people make judgements about other people’s ages, their estimation is based on many different characteristics of the observed person as well as personal characteristics of the observer themselves. Age estimations can be of a crucial importance in numerous judicial and day-to-day contexts, such as in situations where age of sexual consent or age limit to buy alcohol are taken into consideration. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the possible factors causing bias to age estimations. People have been found to estimate adolescents as older than their biological age, a tendency that seems to be particularly strong when assessing the ages of girls. However, not many studies regarding age estimation exist, and in particular there is a scarcity of studies conducted with young target persons. The purpose of the study was to investigate how accurate age estimations are, and the effects of gender, age and ethnicity of both targets and observers on age estimation. Also, the effects of target’s facial expression, the use of makeup (in female targets) and the estimated picture’s qualities (standardized and unstandardized) were investigated. The study was conducted via an Internet-based survey. A total of 868 participants, aged 15-67 years, made age estimations of facial pictures of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18 years. Overall, 240 pictures of girls and boys were used in the study. Supporting earlier research findings, the results revealed a tendency to overestimate the ages of adolescents. On average, the ages of adolescents were overestimated by 3.51 years. The ages of young girls were overestimated to the greater extent than the ages of young boys, but such a difference was not found in older age groups. Also, male participants overestimated the ages of targets more than female participants. The age of the estimator did not affect age estimation accuracy, and neither did ethnicity affect estimation accuracy. Target persons who were smiling in the picture were estimated to be older than those having a neutral facial expression, and girls wearing makeup were estimated being older than girls not wearing makeup. Participants also made higher age estimations from standardized pictures of female targets than unstandardized pictures of female targets, whereas such effect was not found in the analysis including both female and male targets. In sum, while the ages of both girls and boys were overestimated, the overestimation was greatest in a group of young girls. This may be of relevance in some judicial contexts, for instance in alleged child sexual abuse cases. The study draws attention to people’s sometimes poor age estimation accuracy and raises concern about the reliability of the estimations. The results reveal important information about factors potentially biasing age estimation accuracy. As some of the factors have not been studied before, replication studies are needed to verify the associations

How old was she? The accuracy of assessing the age of adolescents’ based on photos

Information on the degree to which individuals can make accurate estimations of someone's age can be of importance in different legal contexts, such as for example child sexual abuse cases in which the victim is an adolescent and asylum procedures. There is, however, a scarcity of studies concerning age estimations conducted with young target persons. Using facial photos of target persons aged 12-18 years, we investigated the effects of gender, age, and ethnicity of both targets (n = 240) and observers (n = 869) on the accuracy of age estimation. We also investigated the effects of targets' facial expressions (neutral or smiling), use of makeup, and photo quality. Participants overestimated the age of the adolescents by, on average, 3.51 years. Participants overestimated the age of young adolescent girls to a greater extent than that of younger boys. Men made larger overestimations than women. Participants also estimated smiling targets as being older than targets with neutral facial expression, and the age of girls with makeup to be older than girls without makeup. Because there was considerable variation in the accuracy of estimations, and overestimates were common, we conclude that the ability of individuals to estimate the age of adolescents is generally low. This might have important legal implications.Peer reviewe