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Back to 2014 Annual Meeting Abstracts
The Impact of Geographic, Ethnic and Demographic Dynamics on the Perception of Beauty
Peter N. Broer, M.D.1, Neil Tanna2, Katie Weichman3, Mark Walker4, Sabrina Juran5.
1Bogenhausen Technical Teaching Hospital Munich, München, Germany, 2Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New Hyde Park, NY, USA, 3Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA, 4Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA, 5United Nations Population Fund, New York, NY, USA.
BACKGROUND:
Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, but, influenced by the individual's
geographic, ethnic and demographic background and characteristics. In plastic
surgery, objective measurements are used as a foundation for aesthetic evaluations.
This study assumes interdependence between variables such as country of residence, gender, age, occupation and aesthetic perception.
METHODS:
Computerized images of a model's face were generated with the ability to
alter nasal characteristics and the projection of the lips and chin. A survey containing these modifiable images was sent to over thirteen thousand plastic surgeons and lay people in 50 different countries, who were able to virtually create a face which they felt to be the aesthetically "ideal" and most pleasing. Demographic information about the interviewees was obtained.
RESULTS:
Values of various aesthetic parameters of the nose were described along with
their relationship to geography, demography and occupation of the respondents. Interregional and ethnic comparison revealed that variables of country of residence,
ethnicity, occupation (general public vs. surgeon) and gender correlate along a threeway dimension with the ideal projection of the lips and the chin. Significant interaction effects were found between variables of country of residence or ethnicity with occupation and gender of the respondents.
CONCLUSIONS:
What are considered the "ideal " aesthetics of the face are highly
dependent on the individual's cultural and ethnic background and cannot simply and solely be defined by numeric values and divine proportions. As confirmed with this study ethnic, demographic and occupational factors impact peoples' perception of beauty significantly.
Back to 2014 Annual Meeting Abstracts
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