Facial attractiveness and facial impairment ratings in children with craniofacial malformations.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined (1) the effects of type of malformation, sex of ratee, and sex of rater on facial attractiveness and facial impairment ratings, and (2) the reliability of judgments on facial attractiveness and facial impairment and the association between these two constructs.


METHODS
A university hospital for children.


METHODS
Raters were eight volunteers from the student population in a university, four men and four women.


METHODS
Raters judged frontal and lateral view slides of children with various types of craniofacial malformations both on a 5-point facial attractiveness scale and on a 5-point facial impairment scale.


RESULTS
Main effects were found for type of malformation, sex of ratee, and sex of rater. No interaction effects were found among type of malformation, sex of ratee, and sex of rater. Interrater reliability was moderate to high, both for attractiveness ratings and for impairment ratings. The correlation between facial attractiveness and facial impairment was also moderate to high. CONCLUSIONS; Both condition parameters (type of malformation) as well as social parameters (sex of rater and sex of ratee) seem to influence judgments on attractiveness and impairment. Facial attractiveness and facial impairment can be rated reliably in children with (cerebro)craniofacial dysplasias. Raters consider these concepts to be very similar but not identical.
Okkerse
J M
JM
Department of Medical Psychology, KA.04.004.0, University Medical Center Utrecht, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, P.O. Box 85090, 3508 AB Utrecht, The Netherlands. j.m.eokkerse@freeler.nl.
Beemer
F A
FA
Cordia-de Haan
M
M
Heineman-de Boer
J A
JA
Mellenbergh
G J
GJ
Wolters
W H
WH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001921:Brain / Q000002:abnormalities; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019465:Craniofacial Abnormalities / Q000523:psychology*; D004954:Esthetics; D005145:Face / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D012737:Sex Factors; D012928:Social Desirability; D012938:Social Perception