Presentation 2022-05-15
Examination of morphological traits of children's faces related to perceptions of cuteness using Gaussian process ordinal regression
Teppei Teraji, Keito Shiroshita, Masashi Komori, Hiroshi Nittono,
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Abstract(in Japanese) (See Japanese page)
Abstract(in English) Konrad Lorenz, an ethologist, proposed that certain physical elements are perceived as cute and induce caretaking behavior in other individuals, with the evolutionary function of enhancing offspring survival. He called these features Kindchenschema, baby schema. According to his introspection, these include a large forehead, chubby round features, and chubby cheeks. Previous studies are limited to examining the effects of these facial features on perceived cuteness, however, there may be other morphological factors that are related to perceived cuteness. This study uses Bayesian optimization (BO), one of the global sequential optimization methods for estimating unknown functions, to search for facial morphological features that enhance the perceptions of facial cuteness. We applied BO incorporating Gaussian process ordinal regression (GPOR), which allows an estimation of the latent cuteness function based on evaluations using the Likert scale. Ninety-six preschool children provided the facial images used in this study. We summarized the facial shape variations using methodologies of geometric morphometrics and PCA up to the third principal component, which we refer to as the face space. Forty participants provided their evaluations of the images created by warping the average facial texture of the children's faces with randomly generated parameters in the face space. Facial traits related to perceived cuteness were estimated based on the averaged cuteness function. Perceived cuteness was found to be linked to the relative lower position of facial components, not forehead size.
Keyword(in Japanese) (See Japanese page)
Keyword(in English) Gaussian process ordinal regression / Bayesian optimization / baby schema / cuteness
Paper # HCS2022-17,HIP2022-17
Date of Issue 2022-05-08 (HCS, HIP)

Conference Information
Committee HCS / HIP / HI-SIGCE
Conference Date 2022/5/15(2days)
Place (in Japanese) (See Japanese page)
Place (in English) Okinawa Industry Support Center
Topics (in Japanese) (See Japanese page)
Topics (in English) Communication Enhancing, Human Communications, and Human Information Processing
Chair Tomoo Inoue(Univ. of Tsukuba) / Shuichi Sakamoto(Tohoku Univ.)
Vice Chair Yugo Hayashi(Ritsumeikan Univ.) / Tomoko Kanda(Osaka Inst. of Tech.) / Yuji Wada(Ritsumeikan Univ.) / Sachiko Kiyokawa(Univ. Tokyo)
Secretary Yugo Hayashi(Nihon Univ.) / Tomoko Kanda(National Chung Cheng Univ) / Yuji Wada(Osaka Electro-Comm. Univ.) / Sachiko Kiyokawa(NTT) / (NICT)
Assistant HUANG HUNGHSUAN(Univ. of Fukuchiyama) / Shigeyoshi Iizuka(Kanagawa Univ.) / Kazuki Takashima(Tohoku Univ.) / Hiroto Saito(Tokyo Denki Univ.) / Ryo Ishii(NTT) / Yuki Yamada(Kyushu Univ.) / Daisuke Tanaka(Tottori Univ.) / Ippei Negishi(Kanazawa Inst. of Tech.)

Paper Information
Registration To Technical Committee on Human Communication Science / Technical Committee on Human Information Processing / Special Interest Group on Communication Enhancement
Language JPN
Title (in Japanese) (See Japanese page)
Sub Title (in Japanese) (See Japanese page)
Title (in English) Examination of morphological traits of children's faces related to perceptions of cuteness using Gaussian process ordinal regression
Sub Title (in English)
Keyword(1) Gaussian process ordinal regression
Keyword(2) Bayesian optimization
Keyword(3) baby schema
Keyword(4) cuteness
1st Author's Name Teppei Teraji
1st Author's Affiliation Osaka Electro-Communication University(OECU)
2nd Author's Name Keito Shiroshita
2nd Author's Affiliation Osaka Electro-Communication University(OECU)
3rd Author's Name Masashi Komori
3rd Author's Affiliation Osaka Electro-Communication University(OECU)
4th Author's Name Hiroshi Nittono
4th Author's Affiliation Osaka University(Osaka Univ.)
Date 2022-05-15
Paper # HCS2022-17,HIP2022-17
Volume (vol) vol.122
Number (no) HCS-23,HIP-24
Page pp.pp.81-85(HCS), pp.81-85(HIP),
#Pages 5
Date of Issue 2022-05-08 (HCS, HIP)