Search This Blog

The distance between a woman's eyes and the distance between her eyes and her mouth are key factors in determining how attractive she is to others,

New 'Golden Ratios' for Female Facial Beauty
ScienceDaily (Dec. 17, 2009) — Beauty is not only in the eye of the beholder but also in the relationship of the eyes and mouth of the beholden. The distance between a woman's eyes and the distance between her eyes and her mouth are key factors in determining how attractive she is to others, according to new psychology research from the University of California, San Diego and the University of Toronto.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

See Also:
Mind & Brain
•Perception
•Psychology
•Social Psychology
•Stress
•Relationships
•Child Psychology
Reference
•Facial symmetry
•Morphing
•Visual perception
•Social cognition
Pamela Pallett and Stephen Link of UC San Diego and Kang Lee of the University of Toronto tested the existence of an ideal facial feature arrangement. They successfully identified the optimal relation between the eyes, the mouth and the edge of the face for individual beauty.

In four separate experiments, the researchers asked university students to make paired comparisons of attractiveness between female faces with identical facial features but different eye-mouth distances and different distances between the eyes.

They discovered two "golden ratios," one for length and one for width. Female faces were judged more attractive when the vertical distance between their eyes and the mouth was approximately 36 percent of the face's length, and the horizontal distance between their eyes was approximately 46 percent of the face's width.

Interestingly, these proportions correspond with those of an average face.

"People have tried and failed to find these ratios since antiquity. The ancient Greeks found what they believed was a 'golden ratio' -- also known as 'phi' or the 'divine proportion' -- and used it in their architecture and art. Some even suggest that Leonardo Da Vinci used the golden ratio when painting his 'Mona Lisa.' But there was never any proof that the golden ratio was special. As it turns out, it isn't. Instead of phi, we showed that average distances between the eyes, mouth and face contour form the true golden ratios," said Pallett, a post-doctoral fellow in psychology at UC San Diego and also an alumna of the department.

"We already know that different facial features make a female face attractive -- large eyes, for example, or full lips," said Lee, a professor at University of Toronto and the director of the Institute of Child Study at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. "Our study conclusively proves that the structure of faces -- the relation between our face contour and the eyes, mouth and nose -- also contributes to our perception of facial attractiveness. Our finding also explains why sometimes an attractive person looks unattractive or vice versa after a haircut, because hairdos change the ratios."

The researchers suggest that the perception of facial attractiveness is a result of a cognitive averaging process by which people take in all the faces they see and average them to get an ideal width ratio and an ideal length ratio. They also posit that "averageness" (like symmetry) is a proxy for health, and that we may be predisposed by biology and evolution to find average faces attractive.

The authors note that only Caucasian female faces were studied. Further studies are needed to know whether there is a different set of golden ratios for male faces and for faces from other races or for children's faces.

The research is published by the journal Vision Research and was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the American Psychological Association.




Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at http://PattiWood.net. Also check out the body language quiz on her YouTube Channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

What are the Body Language Cues people Like You at Work?

Check out the new stands in September for the October issue , (yes is comes out a month before) of Woman's Health Magazine to see Patti's tips on, "How to tell if your Boss or Co worker think well of you?" This is the fifth time Patti has been quoted in Woman's Health Magazine.

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional
The Body Language Expert
Web- http://www.PattiWood.net
I have a new quiz on my YouTubestation. Check it out!
YouTube- YouTube - bodylanguageexpert's Channel

Job interview Tips, Body language and Interviewing

One of the biggest mistakes you can make in preparing for a job interview is not having someone objectively assess you body language and vocal behavior. We are often unaware how the our most mundane behaviors affect the way others view us. We can go into a job interview oblivious to our blind spots. No one will tell you unless you ask.

There is a makeover TV show called What Not to Wear. On the show, friends and family members appalled at how someone they know dresses, request the person get a makeover. I find the show entertaining on many levels. Why is the bad dresser always so surprised he or she was chosen for the show?
• The friends and family never told them
• Or, they didn’t believe what they were told
• Or, they do not know what good dressing look likes.
Think about it. Most of the people at work are strangely uncomfortable telling you what’s wrong with you or have trouble telling why they think certain things about you. As you prepare for a job interview you need to know. On the TV show, the fashion consultants put the guest in a four-way mirror booth so they can see themselves from all sides. That alone is painful for the guest. Then they come in and start coaching. They are brutally honest. They say things like, “You look horrible in that.” “That color is awful with your hair color.” “These shoes went out in the 80’s when they were never in.” Then they give coaching on good dressing and even have mannequins dressed appropriately. Finally, they have the person go and shop for the clothes and wear them. The guest is always surprised to find they didn't look as good as they thought and happy to learn how they can make changes to look and feel fantastic.
You may not be a bad dresser or have poor body language, but you might want to improve some aspect of your behavior for a job interview. There may be things you don’t know about yourself. If you want to improve you need to get into a four-way mirror on your behavior, be brutally honest with yourself, find models of the best nonverbal behaviors and see in ways in which you may wish to grow. Then get someone objectives opinion. You may think you know how you come across to others, but you may not really be aware of little body language quirks and vocal habits that could turn an interview off. You may think your best attribute is confidence but you need to get a objective viewpoint to make sure you don't actually appear conceited to interviewer They may think they sound smart when their answers sound condescending and they jut their chin out defiantly. A person can think they are warm and friendly and they but someone meeting them in an interview for the first time may wonder why they don't take a breath and let them talk.
Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional Panel guest on Fox Five News Job Search.
The Body Language Expert
Web- http://www.PattiWood.net
I have a new quiz on my YouTubestation. Check it out!
YouTube- YouTube - bodylanguageexpert's Channel

Tips to Reduce Stress and Build Confidence for a Job Interview

Tip for building confidence and reducing anxiety for a job interview.
When you get upset or nervous or just plain stressed out during your job search notice your breathing. Right now look at your watch, you cell phone or clock and begin to count the number of times you breath in and out in a minute.You may notice that even at rest your nervous breathing is faster than the "average" rate of 12 to 14 times a minute (a rate which is already faster than it needs to be). In fact, many of us, without knowing it, habitually "hyperventilate"--that is, we take quick, shallow breaths from the top of our chest. This kind of breathing sharply reduces the level of carbon dioxide in our blood. This reduced level of carbon dioxide causes the arteries, including the carotid artery going to the brain, to constrict, thus reducing the flow of blood throughout the body. When this occurs, no matter how much oxygen you may breathe into your lungs, your brain and body will experience a shortage of oxygen. The lack of oxygen switches on the sympathetic nervous system--our "freeze, fight or flight reflex"—The that reflex enabled our ancestors to freeze so we wouldn't be seen or flee from a saber tooth tiger but now it is just making you tense, anxious, and irritable. When you take quick shallow breaths you reduce our ability to think clearly. During a job interview it may keep you from answering questions quickly and succinctly, and you can beat the mercy of obsessive thoughts and images. You may start thinking, Oh my gosh I am going to mess up." "Oh my gosh I am a failure." "I bet he thinks I am stupid." We may even stop breathing as we get to end of each obsessive thought. Some researchers believe that hyperventilation can actually magnify our psychological problems and conflicts, and that chronic hyperventilation is intimately bound up with our anxieties, apprehensions, and fears. One key to feeling clear headed, energized and confident,is to breath deeply, from low down in your belly. You can practice breathing more slowly using your diaphragm, belly, rib cage, and lower back in the breathing process. I have been reading and practicing tantric breathing to be more awake to how I breath and really get inside my body and increase my power. It is amazing how strong and powerful I feel when I take deep belly breaths making a lot of noise as the air fills me up and and let out that breath fully and completely in deep releasing sighs. Of course your not going to be doing tantric breathing during your interview, but it could help calm you and clear your energy the night before or in the car before you go into your interview. Try it right now. Take four deep belly breaths in on a count of four holding for a count of two and making lots noise as you sigh deeply out all your breath. Now say. I feel wonderful. How does your voice sound? More powerful? More Alive? (link to voice articles) See The Tao of Natural Breathing for more information.
________________________________________
Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional
The Body Language Expert
Web- http://www.PattiWood.net
I have a new quiz on my YouTubestation. Check it out!
YouTube- YouTube - bodylanguageexpert's Channel

Fox Channel Five Job Search and Job Interviewing Webcast.

For great information on finding a job, writing an ageless resume, using social networking and body language for job interviews check out Atlanta Fox News website for a webcast panel discussion. As a body language expert on the panel today, I shared how important it is to visualize your success before the interview. Job seekers sometimes get so anxious before an interview that they imagine all the mistakes they will make. Instead prepare by first practicing live then visualizing your success. Practice how you will shake hands well and sit with confidence, be warm and friendly, listen well and answer all the questions your asked with confidence and play the movie of you giving a successful interview in your head over and over so that when you are under stress you can easily go to the positive successful responses you have rehearsed and played over and over in your mind. You body will go to what you have rehearsed the most. Rehearse and nail the interview response. For more tips go to the search portion of Patti's blog and type in job interview body language.

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional
The Body Language Expert
Web- http://www.PattiWood.net
I have a new quiz on my YouTubestation. Check it out!
YouTube- YouTube - bodylanguageexpert's Channel