Attractiveness of Facial Profiles Is a Function of Distance From Archetype

The term archetype is used here to refer to a facial structure defined by certain geometric relationships that occur as a result of normal growth and that guarantee efficient mastication. Two experiments are reported that test whether or not facial attractiveness is related to this functional ideal. Attractiveness of female profiles was found to be related strongly to distance from archetype, and this relationship held at different age levels (but it was not mediated by apparent age level). In contrast, attractiveness was not related to the degree to which a given face conformed either to the golden section or to a cephalometric norm. Arguments are presented for defining attractiveness for a given individual rather than in terms of an absolute standard for all faces.