%0 Journal Article %T The self prefers itself? Self-referential versus parental standards in face attractiveness %A Unni Sulutvedt %A Bruno Laeng %J PeerJ %D 2015 %I %R 10.7717/peerj.595 %X Preference for phenotypic similarity in assortative mating may be influenced by either a preference for self-similarity or parent-similarity. The aim of the current study was to assess whether people¡¯s preference in face attractiveness is influenced by resemblance to the opposite sex parent¡¯s face (parental phenotype) or their own face (self-based phenotype or ¡°self-imprinting¡±). We used computerized image manipulations of facial photographs of participants, their mothers and fathers. The original photographs were combined with 78% of the participants¡¯ opposite sex prototype face (i.e., male and female prototypes made from equal contributions of a hundred faces), creating morphs where the contribution from the familiar faces went unnoticed. Female and male participants ranked these images together with the opposite-sex prototype different familiar morphs. Each participant did the same for the morphs generated with other same-sex participants¡¯ faces and of their parents. We found that the female participants preferred the self-based morphs to the prototype faces. Male participants showed a general tendency towards self-referential standard. Parental face morphs were ranked low in attractiveness, which may be accounted for by the age difference of the faces blended into the self-based versus parental face morphs, since we used present-time photographs of both the participants and their parents. %K Face attractiveness %K Assortative mating %K Phenotypic similarity %U https://peerj.com/articles/595/