The effect of the dynamic component of physical appearance on perceived visual presentations of another person’s age

Introduction. The systematization of perceived age studies has revealed a disproportion in the following: (a) factors of perceived age (characteristics of the object of perception are well studied, while little attention has been devoted to characteristics of the subject of perception); (b) components of physical appearance (considerable attention has been paid to the influence of the static component of physical appearance on the person's perceived age, while few data are available on the dynamic component). The present study reveals the influence of the dynamic component of physical appearance on the perceived age of the object of perception and also the perceiving subject's socio-psychological characteristics as factors for Another's age perception. Materials and Methods. The objects of age perception (models) comprised 7 persons aged 21–23 years and one person aged 45 years. The photos and videos of the models' spontaneous dancing were used. The study involved 108 subjects of perception (aged 14–78 years). The study employed (a) V. A. Labunskaya's technique for the Evaluation/Content Interpretation of Appearance and Its Correspondence with Gender/Age Constructs, (b) V. Schutz Interpersonal Relations Questionnaire, and (c) the Demographic Questionnaire. Results. The dynamic component of a person's physical appearance influences his/her perceived age. Thus, the observers perceive them as being younger than in the photos. If age visual presentations were contradictory, the observer relied on the static component of physical appearance. The study draws a conclusion that the perceiving subject's relation to his/her own physical appearance influences the perceived age of the object of perception. Discussion. The present study confirms the leading role of the static component of physical appearance in perceiving the person's age, which is noted in numerous studies. The perceiving subject's psychological characteristics (relation to his/her own physical appearance) determine another person's perceived age. The study findings expand the knowledge of the complex and multifactorial determination of the process of constructing another person's age.