The Perception Lab

The Perception Lab is run by Dave Perrett. We are based in the University of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland. Our research is funded by the ESRC, BBSRC, S.I.N.A.P.S.E, Unilever, and the EPSRC.

In the lab, we investigate the many facets of face perception...What makes one person appear more trustworthy and cooperative than another? What is the relationship between health and attractiveness, and which physiological factors influence this relationship? How big do differences between facial characteristics have to be for us to perceive them? These are just a few of the topics we're interested in.

Use the links above to find out more about us and our work...

 

Click Here to Participate in one of Our Experiments!!

 

Recent Media & Publications

Media

There's An App For That! Check out the new Face Transformer App for iPhone!

Meet the Royal Heirs (Online Article) Available Via the New Scientist Website

In Your Face: The New Science of Human Attraction (Book) Available from Bookstores

Santa Baby: An Analysis of St Nick's Sex Appeal (News Article) Available as PDF

 

Recent Publications

Re, D.E., Coetzee, V., Xiao, D.K., Buls, D., Tiddeman, B.P., Boothroyd, L.G., Perrett, D.I. (in press) Viewing heavy bodies enhances preferences for facial adiposity. Journal of Evolutionary Psychology.

Re, D.E., Whitehead, R.D., Xiao, D., Perrett, D.I. (2011). Oxygenated-blood color change thresholds for perceived facial redness, health, and attractiveness. PL0S ONE, 6(3). Available as PDF

Stirrat, M., Gumert, M., Perrett, D.I. (2011) - The Effect of Attractiveness on Food Sharing Preferences in Human Mating Markets. Evolutionary Psychology 9(1), 79-91. Available as PDF

Coetzee, V., Re, D.E., Perrett, D.I., Tiddeman, B.P. & Xiao, D. (2011). Judging the health and attractiveness of female faces: Is the most attractive level of facial adiposity also considered the healthiest? Body Image, 8(2), 190-193. Available Online

Stirrat, M. & Perrett, D.I. (2010) Valid facial cues to cooperation and trust: Male facial width and trustworthiness. Psychological Science, 21(3), 349-354. Available Online

Coetzee, V., Chen, J., Perrett, D.I. & Stephen, I.D. (2010). Deciphering faces: Quantifiable visual cues to weight. Perception, 39, 51-61. Available Online