Facial aesthetics and the assignment of personality traits before and after orthognathic surgery

Autor(en)
Klaus Sinko, Reinhold Jagsch, Barbara Benes, Gabriele Millesi, Florian Fischmeister, Rolf Ewers
Abstrakt

Abstract. Processing and interpreting the face is generally very important because one is often required to make rapid decisions in life on the basis of meagre information. Ninety-two volunteers used a computer-assisted test battery to assess 40 profiles of patients (8 skeletal Class II and 8 skeletal Class III patients, each pre- and postoperatively, with 8 skeletal Class I photographs serving as controls). On a 7-point Likert scale the raters were asked to evaluate aesthetics and a few relevant personality traits (e.g. unintelligent, inhibited, aggressive, brutal). The photographs of the two patient groups were rated significantly less attractive and intelligent prior to surgery than the photographs of the control group. In respect of personality traits, the photographs of the skeletal Class III group differed more strongly from normal ones. In respect of aesthetics and intelligence, both patient groups benefited markedly from surgery. For some personality traits, significant interactions were found between the two groups on pre–post comparison. The method underlying the study is useful for evaluating the outcome of orthognathic surgery, but also indicates the strongly generalized and unconscious processes involved in the estimation of people’s personality traits, especially when these concern deviations from the socially normal condition.

Organisation(en)
Institut für Klinische und Gesundheitspsychologie
Externe Organisation(en)
Medizinische Universität Wien
Journal
International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Band
41
Seiten
469-476
Anzahl der Seiten
8
ISSN
0901-5027
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijom.2011.10.026
Publikationsdatum
2012
Peer-reviewed
Ja
ÖFOS 2012
501026 Wahrnehmungspsychologie, 501010 Klinische Psychologie
Schlagwörter
Link zum Portal
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/982ea6cb-7188-4ab1-9b18-6f4c3892b80f