Titel
Sex differences in human ability to discern facial resemblance might be due to female dispersal
Abstract
Inclusive fitness theory presumes a human ability to discriminate between kin and nonkin. The present study investigated to what extent computer-generated similarity or dissimilarity can be discerned as phenotypic resemblance or dissimilarity, respectively, on a conscious level. Furthermore, sex differences assumed from female dispersal theory were examined. Three warps, one of computed similarity and one of computed dissimilarity of varying degree to a reference face among them, were presented to subjects, who were asked to indicate the image that they perceived as the most similar or dissimilar, respectively, to the source face. Higher degrees of (dis-)similarity led to higher recognition rates, which, however, never exceeded 80 percent. Women achieved higher recognition rates than men and (dis-)similarity was recognized more easily in female faces by both male and female subjects. We hypothesize that these sex differences are due to an evolutionary adaptation enabling women to recognize potentially remote relatives when they have left their natal groups and joined others to avoid inbreeding.
Stichwort
Kin recognition, inclusive fitness, phenotypic similarity, warping, female dispersal, sex difference
Objekt-Typ
Sprache
Englisch [eng]
Persistent identifier
https://phaidra.univie.ac.at/o:243581
Erschienen in
Titel
Journal of Social, Evolutionary & Cultural Psychology
Band
5
Ausgabe
3
Seitenanfang
155
Seitenende
162
Erscheinungsdatum
01.12.2011
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