2020 Volume 56 Issue 6 Pages 222-230
While having the appearance of a small or slim face is considered a desirable trait among Japanese people, the factors that influence perceived facial size are unclear. The present study aimed to examine which facial features impacted the perceived size of the whole face. First, we measured the width and height of 20 facial features based on the images of 132 women and men, and then calculated correlations between the measured size and the apparent size of the face （Study 1）. The results showed that the apparent facial size was strongly correlated with the feature size in the lower facial region （e.g., cheek width, jaw length）, compared with the upper facial region （e.g., forehead length）, regardless of the sex for face images. We also demonstrated that the perceived facial size was altered when the size of the lower facial features was obscured by a sanitary mask, which was used to manipulate observation of the lower facial region （Study 2）. These results suggest that feature size in the lower facial region serves as a critical cue when judging the apparent size of faces.
