Oxygenated-blood colour change thresholds for perceived facial redness, health, and attractiveness

Blood oxygenation level is associated with cardiovascular fitness, and raising oxygenated blood colouration in human faces increases perceived health. The current study used a two-alternative forced choice (2AFC) psychophysics design to quantify the oxygenated blood colour (redness) change threshold...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2011-03, Vol.6 (3), p.e17859-e17859
Main Authors: Re, Daniel E, Whitehead, Ross D, Xiao, Dengke, Perrett, David I
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attraction
Beauty
Bias
Biology
Blood
Color
Decision making
Digital cameras
Discrimination (Psychology)
Exercise
Face
Female
Females
Fertility
Gender differences
Health
Humans
Judgments
Male
Males
Mens health
Monkeys & apes
Motivation
Oxygen - blood
Oxygenation
Perceptions
Physical fitness
Physical Stimulation
Preferences
Psychophysics
Self image
Skin
Skin Pigmentation - physiology
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Symmetry
Thresholds
Womens health
Young Adult
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Summary:Blood oxygenation level is associated with cardiovascular fitness, and raising oxygenated blood colouration in human faces increases perceived health. The current study used a two-alternative forced choice (2AFC) psychophysics design to quantify the oxygenated blood colour (redness) change threshold required to affect perception of facial colour, health and attractiveness. Detection thresholds for colour judgments were lower than those for health and attractiveness, which did not differ. The results suggest redness preferences do not reflect a sensory bias, rather preferences may be based on accurate indications of health status. Furthermore, results suggest perceived health and attractiveness may be perceptually equivalent when they are assessed based on facial redness. Appearance-based motivation for lifestyle change can be effective; thus future studies could assess the degree to which cardiovascular fitness increases face redness and could quantify changes in aerobic exercise needed to increase facial attractiveness.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0017859