People assess each other’s health without thinking about it. A face can signal fatigue or illness, and this can influence how we respond socially.
According to Medical Xpress, these assessments are based on subtle changes in facial expressions that many people perceive automatically.
Differences between men and women
According to a study published in Evolution and Human Behavior, women are generally better than men at recognizing signs of illness in faces.
The results are based on assessments by 280 university students who viewed images of individuals both when they were healthy and when they were ill.
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Participants were asked to evaluate the faces based on factors including health, alertness, and approachability.
The study’s authors explain that women, on average, were more accurate in their assessments. The difference was small but consistent throughout the study.
The finding may have implications for how people avoid infection and navigate social situations in which health plays a role.
Why women are better at detecting illness
The research team behind the study points to several possible explanations.
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They argue that women have historically often been responsible for caregiving, which may have increased the need to detect illness at an early stage.
At the same time, they note that biological factors may also play a role.
Women may have faced greater pressure to avoid illness, partly due to periods of reduced immune function.
However, the researchers emphasize that these explanations do not stand alone and are still being debated.
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Limitations of the study
The study was limited to young students, and the images showed only faces without movement.
According to Medical Xpress, other cues such as voice and body language may also influence how illness is perceived.
The researchers therefore believe that more research is needed before the results can be broadly generalized.
Sources: Medical Xpress, and Evolution and Human Behavior.
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