Hunters Race / Unsplash
Research indicates that having a narrow, long face and a light, warm skin tone is associated with individuals of a higher social class.
A recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General reveals that our perceptions of other people’s social class are significantly influenced by specific facial features.
According to this research, individuals with wider, shorter and flatter faces, with downward-facing mouths and cooler, darker complexionare often considered to belong to a lower social class.
On the other hand, those who exhibit narrower and longer faces, with upturned corners of the mouth, raised eyebrows, eyes closer together and lighter, warmer skin tones are seen as belonging to a higher social class, Psy Post points out.
This pioneering study, led by R. Thora Bjornsdottir, assistant professor at the University of Stirling, and conducted during her postdoctoral research at the University of Glasgow, aims to clarify how facial appearance contributes to judgments about social class. The research highlights the quick judgments that people make based on facial characteristics, affecting the perception of social status and, consequently, the available opportunities for individuals.
To explore these insights, the research team used a 3D generative model to create a wide spectrum of photorealistic faces. These faces were then rated by participants on a scale from “richest” to “poorest” based on their intuitive perceptions. A subsequent experiment assessed perceptions of social traits such as competence and trustworthiness, with more than 2400 faces evaluated to map the facial features associated with social class and other related traits.
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Genera
The results suggest that facial features that lead to judgments of higher social class also correlate with perceptions of greater competence, warmth, and trustworthiness.
However, the study recognizes its limitations, focusing mainly on a white british demographicssuggesting the need for more research across cultures, social classes, and ethnicities to explore whether these findings can be generalized.
This research highlights the profound impact of facial appearance in social class judgments and the potential stereotypes that influence these perceptions, highlighting the importance of understanding and possibly challenging these biases to promote a more inclusive society.
