Lecture 11 Integrating different cues in attraction.

Lecture 11

Integrating different cues in attraction

Overview: Cue integration

1. Integrating diverse cues (gaze, expression, sex, physical

attractiveness) in face preferences

2. Social transmission of face preferences

1. Adaptations for efficient allocation of social/mating effort

Social/mating effort is a finite resource that should be allocated judiciously

May lead to evolution of mechanisms for efficient allocation of effort

Attractiveness and smiling

-3-3

Medial orbito-frontal cortex

size of attractiveness effect

O’Doherty et al. 2003 Neuropsychologia

neutral

happy

Attractiveness and gaze

Direct gaze increases the reward value of attractive facesDirect gaze decreases the reward value of unattractive faces

Kampe et al. 2002 Nature

ventral striatum

Gaze influences emotion perception

Expressions can change ‘meaning’ depending on gaze

Adams & Kleck 2003 Psychological Science

Preference for physical attractiveness greatest when target is smiling at you

Integrating social signals and attractiveness

N=252

Jones et al. 2006 Psychological Science

Context-sensitive opposite-sex bias in gaze preferenceConway et al. 2008 Proc Roy Soc B

Integrating social signals and attractiveness

Adaptation for efficient allocation of mating effort

Modulating preferences:

for physical attractiveness in light of cues of social interest

for gaze direction in light of sex and expression

will promote efficient allocation fo social/mating effort

2. Social transmission of face preferences

Social learning and mate choice

Social learning influences female mate choice in many non-human species

Brown & Fawcett (2005) Current Biology Galef & Laland (2005) BioScience

m f

Social learning and attraction

Initial pre-observation phase test to assess baseline preference for 8 pairs of men

Observation phase manipulating cues to unfamiliar women’s attitudes to these men

Post-observation phase test for change in preference for 8 pairs of men

Jones et al. (2007) Proc Roy Soc B

Pre-observation phase test

Observation phase

Observation phaselooked at man

smile

d at

man

Post-observation phase test

Social learning and attraction

Female subjects Increased attraction to men smiled at by unfamiliar women (i.e. ‘copying’ preferences of other women)

Jones et al. (2007) Proc Roy Soc B

Male subjects Decreased attraction to men smiled at by unfamiliar

women (i.e. within-sex competition effect)

ResultsC

hang

e in

attr

activ

enes

s of

look

ed-a

t mal

es

(pos

t- m

inus

pre

-obs

erva

tion

phas

e)

Social learning influences face preferences in humans

Women ‘copy’ other women

Men derogate men who are the target of positive attention from women

We integrate different facial cues in very complex ways

Integration helps read others’ attitudes / intentions, allocate social effort

efficiently and learn via observation

Studying cue integration is essential to understand face perception

Key issues

Next week

Revision lecture