4 ms·

Perhaps, but the use of a term like "we genetically like symmetry" bugs me. Has it actually been scientifically proven that humans have a genetic predispositio

by wmat 15y ago

Perhaps, but the use of a term like "we genetically like symmetry" bugs me. Has it actually been scientifically proven that humans have a genetic predisposition toward preferring symmetry? My google-fu turned up nothing. Isn't opinion naturally subjective, albeit informed by societal influences one way or the other?

bh42222 15y ago
My google-fu also fails me. This is the best I found: http://www.metafilter.com/62173/The-hypnotic-beauty-of-the-average-face http://www.metafilter.com/62173/The-hypnotic-beauty-of-the-a... I based my initial opinion on a documentary about someone who had tried to find the "typical criminal" face by averaging the mugshots of criminals. But to his shock, the resulting face kept turning out beautiful. But again, my google-fu fails me.
jessriedel 15y ago
This isn't symmetry per se, but the study referred to here does suggest that beauty is mostly innate: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn6355-babies-prefer-to-gaze-upon-beautiful-faces.html http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn6355-babies-prefer-to-... (They didn't do any averaging.) This article says that symmetry specifically has also be found to be attractive to babies: http://www.jyi.org/volumes/volume6/issue6/features/feng.html http://www.jyi.org/volumes/volume6/issue6/features/feng.html Not sure if that was separate from the averaging mentioned.
jallmann 15y ago
>Has it actually been scientifically proven that humans have a genetic predisposition toward preferring symmetry? http://www.grajfoner.com/Clanki/Perrett%201999%20Symetry%20Attractiveness.pdf http://www.grajfoner.com/Clanki/Perrett%201999%20Symetry%20A... seems to imply so. (I'm sure you can find something else stating the opposite though.) That paper was cited as a reference in the original beautification paper, which can be found here http://www.leyvand.com/research/beautification2008/attractiveness2008.pdf http://www.leyvand.com/research/beautification2008/attractiv....
matthew-wegner 15y ago
The explanation I heard once was that childhood illnesses have a large impact on symmetry. In general, symmetry implies health/fertility, so it makes sense that we're attracted to it.
LucioTato 15y ago
"beauty" relates to desire and reproduction. Simmetry means healthy genes. A gene that makes you see "beauty" on external signs of good genes is a gene that gets naturally selected. So I guess most of the actual population have it and see beauty on simmetry.

by wmat 15y ago

bh42222 15y ago

My google-fu also fails me. This is the best I found: http://www.metafilter.com/62173/The-hypnotic-beauty-of-the-average-face http://www.metafilter.com/62173/The-hypnotic-beauty-of-the-a... I based my initial opinion on a documentary about someone who had tried to find the "typical criminal" face by averaging the mugshots of criminals. But to his shock, the resulting face kept turning out beautiful. But again, my google-fu fails me.

jessriedel 15y ago

This isn't symmetry per se, but the study referred to here does suggest that beauty is mostly innate: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn6355-babies-prefer-to-gaze-upon-beautiful-faces.html http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn6355-babies-prefer-to-... (They didn't do any averaging.) This article says that symmetry specifically has also be found to be attractive to babies: http://www.jyi.org/volumes/volume6/issue6/features/feng.html http://www.jyi.org/volumes/volume6/issue6/features/feng.html Not sure if that was separate from the averaging mentioned.

jallmann 15y ago

>Has it actually been scientifically proven that humans have a genetic predisposition toward preferring symmetry? http://www.grajfoner.com/Clanki/Perrett%201999%20Symetry%20Attractiveness.pdf http://www.grajfoner.com/Clanki/Perrett%201999%20Symetry%20A... seems to imply so. (I'm sure you can find something else stating the opposite though.) That paper was cited as a reference in the original beautification paper, which can be found here http://www.leyvand.com/research/beautification2008/attractiveness2008.pdf http://www.leyvand.com/research/beautification2008/attractiv....

matthew-wegner 15y ago

The explanation I heard once was that childhood illnesses have a large impact on symmetry. In general, symmetry implies health/fertility, so it makes sense that we're attracted to it.

LucioTato 15y ago

"beauty" relates to desire and reproduction. Simmetry means healthy genes. A gene that makes you see "beauty" on external signs of good genes is a gene that gets naturally selected. So I guess most of the actual population have it and see beauty on simmetry.