title: The effect of infant fetal alcohol syndrome facial features on adoption preference.
abstract: Infant facial characteristics may affect discriminative parental solicitude because they convey information about the health of the offspring. We examined the effect of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) infant facial characteristics on hypothetical adoption preferences, ratings of attractiveness, and ratings of health. As expected, potential parents were more likely to adopt "normal" infants, and they rated the FAS infants as less attractive and less healthy. Cuteness/attractiveness was the best predictor of adoption likelihood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Queen's University at Kingston, K7L 3N6, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. kwaller@psyc.queensu.ca.
authors.forename: Katherine L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Waller
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Queen's University at Kingston, K7L 3N6, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Volk
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Queen's University at Kingston, K7L 3N6, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Vernon L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Quinsey
keywords: Adoption preference; Fetal Alcohol Syndrome; Infant attractiveness; Infant health; Parental solicitude