Visual experience with one face can affect your perception of and even preference for other, similar faces. Such effects are often attributed to “mere exposure” (Zajonc, 1968; Bornstein, 1989; Rhodes et al., 2001), suggesting that the effects of visual experience are unaffected by the context in which viewing takes place. My current research, in collaboration with Ben Jones and Tony Little, is finding that the context of the exposure matters. [more »]
I currently have an NSF International Fellowship to work with Dave Perrett on the effects of hormones across the menstrual cycle, during pregnancy, and influenced by oral contraceptives on preferences for self-resembling faces and voices. We have submitted the first paper from this project, showing that progesterone levels estimated from reported cycle day are positively correlated with attractiveness judgments of self-resembling faces. [more »]
Evolutionary theories predict that people should behave altruistically toward their genetic relatives, but avoid mating with them. How do people determine who is related enough to help and who is too closely related to mate with? In addition to other methods, people may use facial resemblance as a cue of kinship. My current research tests the predictions that facial resemblance will increase positive behaviour and attributions, but decrease sexual attractiveness. [more »]
I am interested in determining the cues we use to judge trustworthiness. I am currently collaborating with Daniel Krupp and Margo Wilson on the effects of self-resemblance in public goods games. [more »]
I am working to add to self-report measures of social perceptions using paradigms such as change blindness, fMRI, EMG, and ERP. In collaboration with Ben Jones I have been using a new video change blindness method to investigate automatic attention to different types of faces. I am using facial EMG to investigate the degree to which certain facial characteristics qualify expression copying in collaboration with Daniel Krupp and Margo Wilson. [more »]
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