Race differences in face-ism: Does facial prominence imply dominance?

Abstract

It was hypothesized that visual depictions that are lower in «face-ism» (i.e., showing less of the face and more of the body) elicit impressions of lower power. It was thus predicted that depictions of a discriminated-against minority would be lower in face-ism than those of a dominant majority. Four data sets showed lower face-ism in visual displays of Blacks than in those of Whites: Pictures from American and European periodicals, American portrait paintings, and American stamps (the portraits and the stamps showed the effect only when created by Whites). The race difference in face-ism for the American periodicals was maintained even when the race difference in status was held constant