Cognitive Model of the Relationship between Facial Features and Youthfulness as a Complex Impression

Abstract

This study aimed to construct a cognitive model of facial youthfulness. First, we investigated which higher-order impressions (e.g. lively, clean, etc.) compose youthfulness on the hypothesis that youthfulness is a complex impression. Then, we investigated which lower-order impressions (e.g. wrinkles, translucency, etc.) account for the constituent impressions of youthfulness. Eight trained participants rated 27 impressions of 32 women’s facial images in their 50s. Factorial analysis and multiple regression analysis were conducted on the rating data. Our investigation revealed that youthfulness consisted of lively impression and clean impression in addition to estimated age, while lively impression was the main constituent of youthfulness. Further analyses showed that those three impressions respectively related to strong appearance of eyes, perceived translucency, and wrinkled appearance. Based on these results, we proposed a cognitive model representing that youthfulness is a complex impression composed of three higher-order impressions, which are affected by particular facial features.