Enhanced facial symmetry assessment in orthodontists

Abstract

Assessing facial symmetry is an evolutionarily important process, which suggests that individual differences in this ability should exist. As existing data are inconclusive, the current study explored whether a group trained in facial symmetry assessment, orthodontists, possessed enhanced abilities. Symmetry assessment was measured using face and nonface stimuli among orthodontic residents and two control groups: university participants with no symmetry training and airport security luggage screeners, a group previously shown to possess expert visual search skills unrelated to facial symmetry. Orthodontic residents were more accurate at assessing symmetry in both upright and inverted faces compared to both control groups, but not for nonface stimuli. These differences are not likely due to motivational biases or a speed–accuracy tradeoff—orthodontic residents were slower than the university participants but not the security screeners. Understanding such individual differences in facial symmetry assessment may inform the perception of facial attractiveness.

Keywords:

• Face
• Symmetry
• Individual differences
• Perceptual processing
• Orthodontics

We thank Tung Nguyen, William Proffit, and Jessica Lee for consultation and guidance on this project, Gillian Rhodes and Christopher Evans for use of visual stimuli files, and Caroline Albea, Sahsa Malinchoc, Shanley Lestini, Adam Biggs, and Elise Darling for assistance in data collection. This work was supported in part by grant T90DE-021986-01 from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. The TSA data were collected through support from a subcontract with the Institute for Homeland Security Solutions, a research consortium sponsored by the Human Factors Division in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This material is based upon work supported by the DHS under Contract No. HSHQDC-08-C-00100. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of DHS or of the US Government. The study is approved for public release.

We thank Tung Nguyen, William Proffit, and Jessica Lee for consultation and guidance on this project, Gillian Rhodes and Christopher Evans for use of visual stimuli files, and Caroline Albea, Sahsa Malinchoc, Shanley Lestini, Adam Biggs, and Elise Darling for assistance in data collection. This work was supported in part by grant T90DE-021986-01 from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. The TSA data were collected through support from a subcontract with the Institute for Homeland Security Solutions, a research consortium sponsored by the Human Factors Division in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This material is based upon work supported by the DHS under Contract No. HSHQDC-08-C-00100. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of DHS or of the US Government. The study is approved for public release.

Notes

¹ The TSA Officers' participation was voluntary and confidential. See Biggs et al. (2013) for more information about the nature of their recruitment and participation in research.