The authors investigated whether differences in facial stimuli could explain the inconsistencies in the facial attractiveness literature regarding whether adults prefer more masculine- or more feminine-looking male faces. Their results demonstrated that use of a female average to dimorphically transform a male facial average produced stimuli that…

Two studies examined social responses to attractive and unattractive faces on the part of 123 infants of 12 months. Results suggest that visual and behavioral preferences for attractiveness are exhibited much earlier in life than was previously thought. (RH)

Two studies, one with two- to three-month-olds and one with six- to eight-month-olds, examined infant preferences for attractive faces. A visual preference technique was used. Infants were shown slides of faces of adult women previously rated for attractiveness. When shown pairs of attractive and unattractive faces, older and younger infants…

To determine whether behavioral differences exist between attractive and unattractive children, 64 boys and girls aged three and five years were selected on the basis of physical attractiveness and were paired in same age, same sex, and attractive and unattractive dyads. These dyads were then observed in a seminaturalistic play setting. (JMB)

Attractive and unattractive preschool children were judged on appearance by age-mates who were either acquainted or unacquainted with the children being judged. (SB)

Like adults, young infants prefer attractive to unattractive faces (e.g. Langlois, Roggman, Casey, Ritter, Rieser-Danner & Jenkins, 1987; Slater, von der Schulenburg, Brown, Badenoch, Butterworth, Parsons & Samuels, 1998). Older children and adults stereotype based on facial attractiveness (Eagly, Ashmore, Makhijani & Longo, 1991; Langlois,…

Three studies examined infant preferences for attractive faces of White males, White females, Black females, and infants. Infants viewed pairs of faces rated for attractiveness by adults. Preferences for attractive faces were found for all facial types. (BC)

Investigates the generality of stereotypes associated with physical attractiveness and assesses the relative contributions of attractiveness and ethnicity in determining children's behavioral attributions and peer preferences. (JMB)

In response to color slides of second grade children, 131 university students rated the children's physical attractiveness. Data suggest that the societal stereotype of black Americans was present in the evaluation of black children by black adults. Some indication of ethnocentrism among Anglo and Mexican-American adults was found. (Author/RH)

This study examines the relationship between physical attractiveness and behavior by assessing whether behavioral differences exist between children judged by adults to be physically attractive and unattractive. Sixty-four 3- and 5-year-old boys and girls were selected as subjects on the basis of physical attractiveness. Three types of same-age…

Age-dependent differences in the relationship between physical attractiveness and the social perceptions of acquainted classmates were investigated in children (n=160) 3-10 years of age. (Author/MP)

Two studies examined schematic information processing as a function of attractiveness stereotyping among 3- to 7- year-olds. Found that children made more errors identifying female characters with stereotype-inconsistent traits but either did just the opposite with male characters or had no difference in errors with male characters. Findings pose…