Facial redness increases men’s perceived healthiness and attractiveness

Past research has shown that peripheral and facial redness influences perceptions of attractiveness for men viewing women. The current research investigated whether a parallel effect is present when women rate men with varying facial redness. In four experiments, women judged the attractiveness of men’s faces, which were presented with varying degrees of redness. We also examined perceived healthiness and other candidate variables as mediators of the red attractiveness effect. The results show that facial redness positively influences ratings of men’s attractiveness. Additionally, perceived healthiness was documented as a mediator of this effect, independent of other potential mediator variables. The current research emphasizes facial coloration as an important feature of social judgments.PostprintPeer reviewe

Women’s facial redness increases their perceived attractiveness : mediation through perceived healthiness

In the present research, we investigated whether the red-attraction relation that has been observed for men viewing women may also be observed with regard to women’s facial redness. We manipulated facial redness by slightly increasing or decreasing the redness on the faces of baseline pictures of target women, and then had men judge the attractiveness of the women. We also examined healthiness perceptions as a mediator of the redness-attraction relation, along with several other candidate mediator variables. A series of experiments showed that increased redness led to increased ratings of attractiveness, and decreased redness led to decreased ratings of attractiveness. Perceived healthiness was documented as a mediator of the influence of female facial redness on male perceptions of attractiveness, and this mediation was independent of other candidate mediator variables. The findings highlight the importance of attending to facial coloration as an attraction-relevant cue and point to interesting areas for subsequent research.PostprintPeer reviewe

Emotion-color associations in the context of the face

Facial expressions of emotion contain important information that is perceived and used by observers to understand others’ emotional state. While there has been considerable research into perceptions of facial musculature and emotion, less work has been conducted to understand perceptions of facial coloration and emotion. The current research examined emotion-color associations in the context of the face. Across four experiments, participants were asked to manipulate the color of face, or shape, stimuli along two color axes (i.e., red-green, yellow-blue) for six target emotions (i.e., anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, surprise). The results yielded a pattern that is consistent with physiological and psychological models of emotion.PostprintPeer reviewe

Dressed for Sex: Red as a Female Sexual Signal in Humans

Background: In many non-human primate species, a display of red by a female serves as a sexual signal to attract male conspecifics. Red is associated with sex and romance in humans, and women convey their sexual interest to men through a variety of verbal, postural, and behavioral means. In the present research, we investigate whether female red ornamentation in non-human primates has a human analog, whereby women use a behavioral display of red to signal their sexual interest to men. Methodology/Principal Findings: Three studies tested the hypothesis that women use red clothing to communicate sexual interest to men in profile pictures on dating websites. In Study 1, women who imagined being interested in casual sex were more likely to display red (but not other colors) on their anticipated web profile picture. In Study 2, women who indicated interest in casual sex were more likely to prominently display red (but not other colors) on their actual web profile picture. In Study 3, women on a website dedicated to facilitating casual sexual relationships were more likely to prominently exhibit red (but not other colors) than women on a website dedicated to facilitating marital relationships. Conclusions/Significance: These results establish a provocative parallel between women and non-human female primates in red signal coloration in the mating game. This research shows, for the first time, a functional use of color in women’s sexual self-presentation, and highlights the need to extend research on color beyond physics, physiology, and preference to psychological functioning

Colorful personalities: investigating the relationship between chroma, person perception, and personality traits.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Rochester. Department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology, 2015.Research on how color affects psychological functioning has burgeoned in recent years. The majority of studies in the domain of color psychology have focused on hue or lightness, while paying little attention to chroma. The present research sought to address this oversight in the literature by investigating the degree to which chroma influences person perception, specifically with regard to the Big Five personality traits. Drawing from Conceptual Metaphor Theory, I predicted that perceiving literal colorfulness (i.e., chroma) would influence perceptions of figurative colorfulness (i.e., extraversion, openness). In Experiment 1, participants perceived foreign words printed in high-chroma text to have a meaning associated with extraversion and openness, relative to agreeableness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism. In Experiment 2, participants rated individuals surrounded by high-chroma colors as more extraverted and open than individuals surrounded by low-chroma colors. Experiment 3 replicated these effects while manipulating chroma on targets' clothing. Study 4 examined the relationship between the Big Five traits and preferences for high and low-chroma colors. Extraverts reported liking high-chroma colors more than introverts, and higher openness was associated with stronger liking of low-chroma colors. Study 5 investigated whether the amount of chroma in participants' clothing was related to their levels of extraversion and openness; no relationship was observed. Implications for integrating chroma as a focal variable in color research are discussed

Study 1: Imagined interest in casual sex predicting color on profile picture.

<p>Note. *p<05.</p

Study 3: Type of website sex predicting color on profile picture.

<p><i>Note.**p</i><01; profile pictures in which the woman did not prominently display one of the four target colors were not coded and are not included in the table.</p

Study 2: Self-reported interest in casual sex predicting color on profile picture.

<p><i>Note. **p</i><01; profile pictures in which the woman did not prominently display one of the four target colors were not coded and are not included in the table.</p