TITLE:
Age-Related Bias in Age Estimation Based on Facial Images of Others
AUTHORS:
Takashi X. Fujisawa, Yasuhiro Azuma, Masato Konishi, Naoyuki Miyamoto, Noriko Nagata
KEYWORDS:
Age Estimation, Age Bias, Face Processing, Aging, Non-Linear Regression Analysis
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.7 No.4,
April
7,
2016
ABSTRACT: In this
study, we hypothesized that the tendency toward an age estimation bias when
judging age based on facial images was driven by relative comparison with one’s
own age, similar to situations of face-to-face communication. Using facial
images as stimuli, participants were asked to assess the ages of those in the
images in relative terms (younger or older than the participants themselves).
We examined the relationship between age estimation bias and participants’ age
and gender, as well as the type of facial expression in the images (smiling or
neutral). This bias was found throughout most gender and age groups, with the
exception of the middle-age female group. Moreover, the bias was greater in men
than women, and was influenced by both age and type of expression. These
results suggest that the main factors responsible for age estimation bias
interact in a complex juxtaposition of variables such as sex, age, and
expression.