The "Central Tendency Bias" in the assessment of facial attractiveness in group-based and individual ratings-A survey-based study in 727 volunteers.

BACKGROUND: The increasing number of esthetic procedures emphasizes the need for effective evaluation methods of outcomes. Current practices include the individual practitioners' judgment in conjunction with standardized scales, often relying on the comparison of before and after photographs. This study investigates whether comparative evaluations influence the perception of beauty and aims to enhance the accuracy of esthetic assessments in clinical and research settings. OBJECTIVE: To compare the evaluation of attractiveness and gender characteristics of faces in group-based versus individual ratings. METHODS: A sample of 727 volunteers (average age of 29.5 years) assessed 40 facial photographs (20 male, 20 female) for attractiveness, masculinity, and femininity using a 5-point Likert scale. Each face was digitally edited to display varying ratios in four lip-related proportions: vertical lip position, lip width, upper lip esthetics, and lower lip esthetics. Participants rated these images both in an image series (group-based) and individually. RESULTS: Differences in the perception of the most attractive/masculine/feminine ratios for each lip proportion were found in both the group-based and individual ratings. Group ratings exhibited a significant central tendency bias, with a preference for more average outcomes compared with individual ratings, with an average difference of 0.50 versus 1.00. (p = 0.033) CONCLUSION: A central tendency bias was noted in evaluations of attractiveness, masculinity, and femininity in group-based image presentation, indicating a bias toward more "average" features. Conversely, individual assessments displayed a preference for more pronounced, "non-average" appearances, thereby possibly pointing toward a malleable "intrinsic esthetic blueprint" shaped by comparative context.

Prognostic assessment of selected clinical and ultrasonographic indices in patients with non-critical lesions in coronary angiography.

BACKGROUND: Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of mortality, especially in industrialised countries. In the case of detection of significant lesions narrowing the vessel lumen, management is guided by recommendations of international cardiac societies, while in the case of non-critical lesions there are some doubts as to the further prognosis and identification of patients in whom accelerated progression of disease can be expected. AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of selected clinical and ultrasonographic indices in patients with non-critical lesions in coronary angiography. METHODS: In 100 symptomatic patients with non-critical stenosis in coronary arteries, cardiovascular events after one and three years of follow-up were assessed and analysed compared to a control group. RESULTS: During the follow-up period there were no deaths. In univariate analysis, factors associated with need for revascularisation in 4% of patients after one year and 7% at three years were: age (odds ratio [OR] 1.16, confidence interval [CI] 0.98-1.35; p = 0.04), fibrinogen concentration (OR 1.01, CI 1.00-1.02; p = 0.05), isovolumetric relaxation time [ms] (OR 1.07, CI 0.79-0.98; p = 0.04), and transmitral flow propagation velocity [cm/s] (OR 0.88, CI 1.01-1.12; p = 0.01). Nearly one third of patients with non-critical lesions despite optimal pharmacotherapy reported symptoms deteriorating quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Factors predisposing to the occurrence of cardiovascular events in the 12 months of follow-up were: older age, higher plasma fibrinogen concentration, and impaired left ventricular filling pattern.