Burt D M, Perrett D I
School of Psychology, University of St Andrews, Fife, U.K.
Proc Biol Sci. 1995 Feb 22;259(1355):137-43. doi: 10.1098/rspb.1995.0021.
This study investigated visual cues to age by using facial composites which blend shape and colour information from multiple faces. Baseline measurements showed that perceived age of adult male faces is on average an accurate index of their chronological age over the age range 20-60 years. Composite images were made from multiple images of different faces by averaging face shape and then blending red, green and blue intensity (RGB colour) across comparable pixels. The perceived age of these composite or blended images depended on the age bracket of the component faces. Blended faces were, however, rated younger than their component faces, a trend that became more marked with increased component age. The techniques used provide an empirical definition of facial changes with age that are biologically consistent across a sample population. The perceived age of a blend of old faces was increased by exaggerating the RGB colour differences of each pixel relative to a blend of young faces. This effect on perceived age was not attributable to enhanced contrast or colour saturation. Age-related visual cues defined from the differences between blends of young and old faces were applied to individual faces. These transformations increased perceived age.
本研究通过使用融合了多个面部形状和颜色信息的面部合成图像来探究年龄的视觉线索。基线测量表明，在20至60岁的年龄范围内，成年男性面部的感知年龄平均而言是其实际年龄的准确指标。合成图像是通过对不同面部的多个图像进行平均面部形状，然后在可比像素上混合红色、绿色和蓝色强度（RGB颜色）而制成的。这些合成或混合图像的感知年龄取决于组成面部的年龄范围。然而，混合面部的评分比其组成面部年轻，随着组成面部年龄的增加，这种趋势变得更加明显。所使用的技术提供了面部随年龄变化的实证定义，这些变化在样本群体中具有生物学一致性。相对于年轻面部的混合图像，通过夸大每个像素的RGB颜色差异，老年面部混合图像的感知年龄增加。这种对感知年龄的影响并非归因于对比度或颜色饱和度的增强。从年轻和老年面部混合图像之间的差异定义的与年龄相关的视觉线索被应用于个体面部。这些变换增加了感知年龄。
