title: Is principal component analysis an effective tool to predict face attractiveness? A contribution based on real 3D faces of highly selected attractive women, scanned with stereophotogrammetry.
abstract: In the literature, several papers report studies on mathematical models used to describe facial features and to predict female facial beauty based on 3D human face data. Many authors have proposed the principal component analysis (PCA) method that permits modeling of the entire human face using a limited number of parameters. In some cases, these models have been correlated with beauty classifications, obtaining good attractiveness predictability using wrapped 2D or 3D models. To verify these results, in this paper, the authors conducted a three-dimensional digitization study of 66 very attractive female subjects using a computerized noninvasive tool known as 3D digital photogrammetry. The sample consisted of the 64 contestants of the final phase of the Miss Italy 2010 beauty contest, plus the two highest ranked contestants in the 2009 competition. PCA was conducted on this real faces sample to verify if there is a correlation between ranking and the principal components of the face models. There was no correlation and therefore, this hypothesis is not confirmed for our sample. Considering that the results of the contest are not only solely a function of facial attractiveness, but undoubtedly are significantly impacted by it, the authors based on their experience and real faces conclude that PCA analysis is not a valid prediction tool for attractiveness. The database of the features belonging to the sample analyzed are downloadable online and further contributions are welcome.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio di Prototipazione Rapida e Reverse Engineering, Dipartimento di Meccanica Matematica e Management, Politecnico di Bari, viale Japigia 182, 70126, Bari, Italy, luigimaria.galantucci@poliba.it.
authors.forename: Luigi Maria
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Galantucci
authors.forename: Eliana
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Di Gioia
authors.forename: Fulvio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lavecchia
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Percoco
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001504:Beauty; D002508:Cephalometry / Q000379:methods; D005145:Face / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D010780:Photogrammetry / Q000379:methods*; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D055815:Young Adult
references.citation: Prog Orthod. 2013 Sep 20;14:32
references.pmid: 24325783
references.citation: J Orthod. 2001 Jun;28(2):159-68
references.pmid: 11395532
references.citation: J Anat. 1998 Aug;193 ( Pt 2):251-72
references.pmid: 9827641
references.citation: Angle Orthod. 2008 Sep;78(5):799-807
references.pmid: 18298221
references.citation: Angle Orthod. 2009 Nov;79(6):1070-7
references.pmid: 19852596
references.citation: J Craniofac Surg. 2013 May;24(3):797-804
references.pmid: 23714883
references.citation: J Craniofac Surg. 2011 Jan;22(1):54-9
references.pmid: 21187775
references.citation: J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 1995 Sep;53(9):1008-14; discussion 1014-5
references.pmid: 7643270
references.citation: J Craniofac Surg. 2010 Jan;21(1):87-93
references.pmid: 20072024
references.citation: J Orofac Orthop. 2007 Jan;68(1):6-16
references.pmid: 17238049
references.citation: Angle Orthod. 2007 Nov;77(6):1025-33
references.pmid: 18004919
references.citation: Angle Orthod. 1970 Oct;40(4):284-318
references.pmid: 4917993
references.citation: Prog Orthod. 2007;8(2):282-93
references.pmid: 18030374
references.citation: Angle Orthod. 2009 Jan;79(1):17-23
references.pmid: 19123721
references.citation: IEEE Trans Pattern Anal Mach Intell. 2004 Jan;26(1):131-7
references.pmid: 15382693
references.citation: Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop. 2006 Sep;130(3):277-82
references.pmid: 16979484
references.citation: J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 1992 Aug;50(8):806-20
references.pmid: 1634972
references.citation: Vision Res. 2006 Apr;46(8-9):1282-91
references.pmid: 16356527