Face VS Figures: Features of Constructing the Age of an Unfamiliar Person Based on the Perception of His Portrait and Height Photographs

Abstract

The aim of the work was to identify the features of constructing the age of an unfamiliar person based on the perception of his face (portrait photography) and physique (height photography). The main method was the procedure of "Photovideopresentation of the appearance" by T.A. Vorontsova. Photographs of four women and four men of different ages were presented to the subjects of perception for age assessment; the eye movements of the subjects of perception were tracked using the Gazepoint GP3 Eye Tracker. The sample of perception subjects included 76 people — 38 men (M=28.84 years) and 38 women (M=28.79 years) aged 21 to 59 years. Results: 1) the perceived age of an unfamiliar person, constructed by the observing subject on the basis of the perception of a face (portrait photograph), significantly differs from the age constructed on the basis of the perception of his integral appearance, presented in a growth photograph. The differences are mediated by the gender-age characteristics of the object of perception; 2) the number of fixations in solving the problem of determining the age of an unfamiliar person when considering his portrait photography is significantly greater than when considering a growth photograph, regardless of the gender and age characteristics of the object of perception; differences in viewing time are mediated by gender and age of the object of perception: the face of women and mature adults is viewed longer than photos of their integral appearance (growth photos); 3) the number of fixations and the time of viewing the faces of women is significantly more than the faces of men; there are significantly more faces of mature people than young people; the number of fixations in the perception of a growth photograph of women is significantly greater than a growth photograph of men; 4) the greatest concentration of views in determining the age of an unfamiliar person is focused on his face, regardless of the accessibility to the perception of body features. The "triangle of interest" in the perception of portrait photography (forehead, bridge of nose, eyes, nose, upper lip) is described; when perceiving a growth photograph, the zone of the greatest concentration of fixations includes 2/3 of the upper left part of the face of the object of perception and captures the hair, forehead, ear, nose, eyes. The results obtained are discussed in the context of a communicative approach to perception research.