The main aim of this project is to test how adaptive the human aesthetic sense is. We know that the beautiful in general is looked at longer due to its rewarding effects. This too is the case for beautiful/attractive faces. From an evolutionary perspective our aesthetic sense has evolved to guarantee good mating decisions since beautiful faces are not only rewarding but are a sign of healthy persons with good genes.

This project tests if beautiful faces always demand longer looks – or if the aesthetic sense is adaptive to situational and personal variables.

Project duration: March 2015 - February 2020

This project is funded by the Austrian Science Fund
(Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung, FWF).

FWF-project number P 27355