Perceived Intelligence Is Associated with Measured Intelligence in Men but Not Women

Perceived Intelligence Is Associated with Measured

Intelligence in Men but Not Women

The ability to accurately assess the intelligence of other persons finds its place in everyday social interaction

and should have important evolutionary consequences.

Methodology/Principal Findings:

We used static facial photographs of 40 men and 40 women to test the relationship

between measured IQ, perceived intelligence, and facial shape. Both men and women were able to accurately evaluate the

intelligence of men by viewing facial photographs. In addition to general intelligence, figural and fluid intelligence showed

a significant relationship with perceived intelligence, but again, only in men. No relationship between perceived intelligence

and IQ was found for women. We used geometric morphometrics to determine which facial traits are associated with the

perception of intelligence, as well as with intelligence as measured by IQ testing. Faces that are perceived as highly

intelligent are rather prolonged with a broader distance between the eyes, a larger nose, a slight upturn to the corners of

the mouth, and a sharper, pointing, less rounded chin. By contrast, the perception of lower intelligence is associated with

broader, more rounded faces with eyes closer to each other, a shorter nose, declining corners of the mouth, and a rounded

and massive chin. By contrast, we found no correlation between morphological traits and real intelligence measured with IQ

test, either in men or women.

Conclusions:

These results suggest that a perceiver can accurately gauge the real intelligence of men, but not women, by

viewing their faces in photographs; however, this estimation is possibly not based on facial shape. Our study revealed no

relation between intelligence and either attractiveness or face shape