Eye-mouth-eye angle

Categories: Aesthetics, Lookism

The '''eye-mouth-eye angle''' is formed by running two imaginary lines from the vertex of the angle (the middle of the lips) to the middle of the pupils. Therefore, the eye-mouth-eye angle is influenced by the size of the midface as well as the [[IPD|interpupillary distance]] (IPD).

==Study==
According to research by Danel & Pawlowski (2007), a more obtuse eye-mouth-eye angle negatively correlates with physical attractiveness ratings among men (''r'' = -.31). However, this result has yet to be replicated, and the p-value for the correlation was relatively high, which may weaken the finding.<ref>https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/%2017516801/</ref>

Danel and Pawlowski also found that this measurement was sexually dimorphic, with the degree of the angle being higher among women than men, with a large Cohen's ''d'' effect size of 0.97.

Furthermore, the symmetry in the angle between the 'arms' of the general angle was also positively correlated with physical attractiveness. However, this study discovered that the most attractive configuration was possessing slight asymmetry between the individual eye-mouth angles.

==Why is it associated with attractiveness?==
If robust, the finding that a more acute eye-mouth-eye angle is associated with attractiveness among men may be due to the measure being associated with masculine facial dimorphism, as Danel & Pawlowski argued.
Alternatively, the link may be because wide-apart eyes, as well as seemingly being a [[neoteny|neotenous]] trait, also appears to be linked to various neurodevelopmental disorders such as [[Asperger's syndrome|autism]], ADHD, and fetal alcohol syndrome.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%20Hypertelorism</ref><ref>https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/%20clinical-research-facial-features-can-help-diagnose-autism/</ref><ref>https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/%20articles/PMC2773598/</ref>
Thus, an unusually large eye-mouth-eye angle may be associated with developmental instability, which others recognize, consciously or unconsciously, and this perception is associated with lower attractiveness ratings for men with more obtuse eye-mouth-eye angles.

==See also==
*[[IPD]]
*[[Hunter eyes]]
*[[Physiognomy]]
*[[ES ratio]]

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Aesthetics]]
[[Category:Lookism]]