Cognitive neuroscience research on facial attractiveness by cosmetics

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K00217
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Cognitive science
• Research Institution: Ehime Prefectural University of Health Science (2016-2017); Osaka Shoin Women's University (2015)
• Principal Investigator: Nakato Emi 愛媛県立医療技術大学, 保健科学部, 准教授 (30509211)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 化粧 / NIRS / 顔の魅力

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Little is known about the brain activity on the facial attractiveness by means of cosmetics, although it has been well known that cosmetics enhance female facial attractiveness (e.g. Cox & Glick，1986; Mulhern et al, 2003). Previous neuroimaging studies on facial attractiveness have reported that the frontal cortex was involved in the judgement of facial attractiveness (e.g. Nakamura et al, 1998; O’Doherty et al, 2003). This study aims to investigate whether female faces by means of cosmetics activated the frontal cortex using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Measurements were made in males' frontal cortex during passive viewing either ten pictures of unfamiliar female cosmetic or non-cosmetic faces. The result showed that the hemodynamic response for the cosmetic faces increased as compared to non-cosmetic ones in the frontal cortex. This result suggests that males' frontal cortex was involved in the judgement of attractive female faces by cosmetics.

Free Research Field

認知科学