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Feeling bad and looking worse: Negative affect is associated with reduced perceptions of face-healthiness
Mirams L, Poliakoff E, Zandstra L, Hoeksma M, El-Deredy W
P L o S Biology (Online). 2014;9:e107912.
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Abstract
Some people perceive themselves to look more, or less attractive than they are in reality. We investigated the role of emotions in enhancement and derogation effects, and whether perceptions of self-healthiness are also subject to bias. Participants who self-reported high positive or negative affectivity judged themselves against healthy and unhealthy-looking versions of their own and stranger’s faces (to measure healthiness of self-image and social comparisons of healthiness). Adaptive testing was used to measure perceptual thresholds. Participants high in positive affectivity were un-biased in their face health judgement. Participants high in negative affectivity on the other hand, judged themselves as equivalent to less healthy looking versions of their own and a stranger’s face. We found affective traits to modulate self-image and social comparisons of healthiness. Face health judgement could have utility as a perceptual measure of well-being.
Keyword(s)
Emotion; Health; Perception; Positive and Negative Affect; Self-image; Social Comparisons; Well-being