Face Structure Predicts Cooperation: Men With Wider Faces Are More Generous to Their In-Group When Out-Group Competition Is Salient

Citation

Stirrat M & Perrett DI (2012) Face Structure Predicts Cooperation: Men With Wider Faces Are More Generous to Their In-Group When Out-Group Competition Is Salient. Psychological Science, 23 (7), pp. 718-722. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797611435133

Abstract
Male facial width-to-height ratio appears to correlate with antisocial tendencies, such as aggression, exploitation, cheating, and deception. We present evidence that male facial width-to-height ratio is also associated with a stereotypically male prosocial tendency: to increase cooperation with other in-group members during intergroup competition. We found that men who had wider faces, compared with men who had narrower faces, showed more self-sacrificing cooperation to help their group members when there was competition with another group. We propose that this finding makes sense given the evolutionary functions of social helpfulness and aggression.

Keywords
face perception; antisocial behavior; intergroup dynamics; sex-role attitudes; personality; Face measurement ; Power (Social sciences) ; Intergroup relations

Journal
Psychological Science: Volume 23, Issue 7