Posted on 02/23/2009 4:46:18 PM PST by Free ThinkerNY
Although I've always wanted this particular superhuman power, I've never been very good at detecting other men's sexual orientation. Findings from a recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, however, suggest I may be underestimating my gaydar abilities.
The January 2008 study investigated people's ability to identify homosexual men from pictures of their faces alone. In an initial experiment, researchers Nicholas Rule and Nalini Ambady from Tufts University perused online dating sites and carefully selected 45 straight male faces and 45 gay male faces. All of these photos were matched for orientation (only faces shown looking forward were used) and facial alterations (none of the images contained jewelry, glasses or facial hair). To control for context, the faces were also cut and pasted onto a white background for the study. These 90 faces were then shown to 90 participants in random order, who were asked simply to judge the target's "probable sexual orientation" (gay or straight) by pressing a button. Surprisingly, all participants (both men and women) scored above chance on this gaydar task, correctly identifying the gay faces. Even more surprisingly, accuracy rate was just as good when the images were exposed at a rapid rate of only 50 milliseconds, which offered participants no opportunity to consciously process the photo.
A parsimonious explanation for these findings would be that the countenance of these photos—an online dating site—means that they're likely stereotypical in some way. In other words, perhaps it's not the target's face per se that signals his sexual orientation, but the way he expresses himself facially when trying to attract a member of the same or the opposite gender. Or maybe hairstyles are suggestive of sexual orientation.
(Excerpt) Read more at sciam.com ...
Oh sthop you sthilly.
In before the “Congratulations on your gay thread” pic.
The most ridiculous article I’ve ever seen in Scientific American, and that’s really saying something.
It was once a great institution of America. It was taken over by an agenda-driven bunch sometime in the mid- to late-1980’s, and they trashed it.
I think a lot of people who are deeply disturbed have a dead look in their eyes. I’ve noticed that all my life. It doesn’t mean that I use that insight with precision or all the time, just that it tips me off to people like a sixth sense.
Barney Frank just before playing ‘hide the pickle’?
*yawn* Who cares.
The gay agenda has finally been achieved. No one thinks they’re particularly shocking or different.
Surprise! Being treated like everyone else certainly takes the wind out of your movement huh. Be careful what you ask for...
I'm shocked the title made it though the editor.
Queeah
LOL!
Article author. I won't say it. Won't say it. Wouldn't be prudent.
What you do with your body, and what you fill your mind and heart with on a regular basis, affects your appearance in subtle ways.
This is why we can say a person looks “kindly” and the person is, in fact, kind.
Works with lots of stuff.
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