Research
Leadership selection
Dozens of studies have demonstrated that ratings of leadership ability drawn from facial stimuli correlate with real-world leader selection in politics and business. Furthermore, recent studies seem to suggest that these ratings are also predictive of actual leadership acumen. My work in this field examines quantifiable facial dimensions that influence perception of leadership ability.
Related publications:
Re, D. E., & Rule, N. O. (2016). The big man has a big mouth: Mouth width correlates with perceived leadership ability and actual leadership performance. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 63, 86-92.
Re, D. E., & Rule, N. O. (2015) CEO facial appearance and firm performance. In Fetscherin, M. (Ed.), CEO Branding: Theory & Practice. New York, NY: Routledge.
Re D. E., Perrett, D. I. (2014). The effects of facial adiposity on attractiveness and perceived leadership ability. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 67, 676-686.
Re D. E., DeBruine L. M. Jones B. C., Perrett D. I. (2013). Face cues to apparent height influence leadership choices in simulated war and peace contexts. Evolutionary Psychology, 11, 89-103.
Re D. E., Dzhelyova, M., Holzleitner, I. J. , Tigue C. C., Feinberg D. R., Perrett, D. I. (2012). Apparent height and body mass index influence perceived leadership ability in three-dimensional faces. Perception, 41, 1477-1485.
Re, D. E., Hunter, D. W., Coetzee, V., Tiddeman, B. P., Xiao, D. X., DeBruine, L. M., Jones, B. C., & Perrett, D. I. (2013). Looking like a leader - Facial shape predicts perceived height and leadership ability. PLoS One, 8, e80957.
Facial cues to body size and health
While many studies have documented how body size affects human social interaction, little research has been done on facial cues that correspond to physical stature and health. Face stimuli can have independent and possibly greater effects on social judgments than body stimuli, thus it is important to determine how facial shape relates to size. My work in this area assess how facial cues to perception of body height and weight influences social interaction.
Related publications:
Re, D. E., & Rule N. O. (in press) About face: New directions for the physician’s general survey. In press at Current Directions in Psychological Science.
Re, D. E., & Rule, N. O. (2016). Heavy matters: The relationship between just noticeable differences in perceptions of facial adiposity and facial attractiveness. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 7, 69-76...
Re, D. E., Tskhay, K. O., Wilson, J. P., Tong, M-O., Zhong, C-B., & Rule, N. O. (2015) Facing fate: Estimates of longevity from facial appearance and their underlying cues. Archives of Scientific Psychology, 3, 30-36.
Re D. E., Holzleitner, I. J., Coetzee, V., Tiddeman, B. P., Xiao, D. K., Perrett, D. I. (2013). How much weight is in the face? Perceptual thresholds for three-dimensional facial form changes associated with body weight. Journal of Aesthetic Surgery (German - Journal für Ästhetische Chirurgie), 6, 141-146.
Re D. E., Dzhelyova, M., Holzleitner, I. J. , Tigue C. C., Feinberg D. R., Perrett, D. I. (2012). Apparent height and body mass index influence perceived leadership ability in three-dimensional faces. Perception, 41, 1477-1485.
Re D. E., Perrett D. I. (2012). Concordant preferences for height and facial cues to height. Personality and Individual Differences, 53, 901-906.
Re D. E., Coetzee V., Xiao D. K., Buls D., Tiddeman B. P., Boothroyd L. G., Perrett, D. I. (2011). Viewing heavy bodies enhances preferences for facial adiposity. Journal of Evolutionary Psychology, 9, 295-308.
Coetzee V., Re D. E., Perrett D. I., Tiddeman B. P., Xiao D. K. (2011). Judging the health and attractiveness of female faces: Is the most attractive level of facial adiposity also considered the healthiest? Body Image, 8, 190-193.
Facial attractiveness
The effetcs of physical beauty pervade almost every aspect of human social life, from perception of self-worth to career success and income to prison sentences for criminals. While many studies have reported on face characteristics that influence beauty, my work has largely focused on how cues to body size (above) and face colouration affect facial attractiveness.
Related publications:
Re, D. E., & Rule, N. O. (2015) Appearance and Physiognomy. In D. Matsumoto, H.C. Hwang, & M.G. Frank (Eds.), APA Handbook of Nonverbal Communication.
Re D. E., Holzleitner, I. J., Coetzee, V., Tiddeman, B. P., Xiao, D. K., Perrett, D. I. (2013). How much weight is in the face? Perceptual thresholds for three-dimensional facial form changes associated with body weight. Journal of Aesthetic Surgery (German - Journal für Ästhetische Chirurgie), 6, 141-146.
Re D. E., Perrett D. I. (2012). Concordant preferences for height and facial cues to height. Personality and Individual Differences, 53, 901-906.
Coetzee V., Faerber S. J., Greeff J. M., Lefevre C. E., Re D. E., Perrett D. I. (2012). African perceptions of female attractiveness. PLoS One, 7, e48116.
Whitehead R. D., Re D. E., Ozakinci G., Perrett D. I. (2012). You Are What You Eat: Within-Subject Increases in Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Confer Beneficial Skin-Color Changes. PLoS One, 7, e32988.
Re D. E., Coetzee V., Xiao D. K., Buls D., Tiddeman B. P., Boothroyd L. G., Perrett, D. I. (2011). Viewing heavy bodies enhances preferences for facial adiposity. Journal of Evolutionary Psychology, 9, 295-308.
Re D. E., Whitehead R. D., Xiao D. K., Perrett D. I. (2011). Oxygenated-Blood Colour Change Thresholds for Perceived Facial Redness, Health, and Attractiveness. PLoS One, 6, e17859.
Coetzee V., Re D. E., Perrett D. I., Tiddeman B. P., Xiao D. K. (2011). Judging the health and attractiveness of female faces: Is the most attractive level of facial adiposity also considered the healthiest? Body Image, 8, 190-193.
Voice perception
Like faces, voices have a large effect on social judgments, including attractiveness. Vocal parameters such as fundamental frequency and formant frequency dispersion have predictable and consistent effects on vocal attractiveness. My research examines how natural and electronic alteration of vocal parameters affect judgments of attractiveness and mate choice.
Related publications:
Fraccaro P. J., O'Connor J. J. M., Re D. E., DeBruine L. M., Jones B. C., Feinberg D. R. (2013). Faking it: Deliberately altered voice pitch and voice attractiveness. Animal Behavior, 85, 127-136.
Re D. E., O’Connor J. J. M., Bennett P. J., Feinberg, D. R. (2012). Preferences for very low and very high voice pitch in humans. PLoS One, 7, e32719.
O'Connor J. J. M., Feinberg D. R., Fraccaro P. J., Borak, D. J., Tigue C. T., Re D. E., Jones B. C., DeBruine L. M., Little A. C., Perrett D. I., Tiddeman B. P. (2012). Female preferences for male vocal and facial masculinity in videos. Ethology, 118, 321-330.
O’Connor J. J. M., Re D. E., Feinberg D. R. (2011). Voice pitch influences perceptions of sexual infidelity independently of attractiveness. Evolutionary Psychology, 9, 64-78.