Xue Lei

Preferences for facial sexual dimorphism are central to evolutionary and social-perceptual theories of attraction, yet decades of research have yielded empirical heterogeneity. While prior work largely emphasizes perceiver-level differences, the role of target facial features remains underexplored. We introduce a target-contingent cue-integration framework, demonstrating that the evaluative impact of dimorphic transformations is fundamentally constrained by base face attractiveness. Across three studies (one lab, two preregistered online; total N = 701), we systematically examined how base face attractiveness modulates dimorphism preferences. Study 1 demonstrated that preferences for sex-typical traits were heightened in composite average face and relatively high attractiveness base faces compared to low attractiveness faces. Study 2 replicated this target contingency in a preregistered online experiment with an independent stimulus set. In Study 3, treating base face attractiveness continuously across an expanded stimulus panel revealed a target-sex asymmetry, showing that higher base face attractiveness linearly enhanced men’s preference for female femininity (supporting cue amplification) but did not modulate women’s preference for male masculinity. Furthermore, psychometric analyses indicated that achieving acceptable individual-level reliability (ρ = .80) demands approximately 40 female and 24 male natural base faces, whereas composite average faces demonstrated relatively higher item consistency and efficiency. These findings indicate that base faces are not neutral vehicles for morphometric shifts, but actively constrain the perceptual impact of social cues. Beyond sexual dimorphism, this work cautions that stimulus-level baseline features may systematically bias outcomes across facial transformation paradigms, highlighting the vital need for principled stimulus sampling in face perception research.

Introduction: Trust is a cornerstone of human cooperation and social cohesion, while music is a universal phenomenon that promotes prosocial behavior and social bonding. Both music and trust processes engage overlapping neurobiological systems, yet their potential relationship remains largely unexplored. Methods: We conducted a scoping review to systematically map existing research on music’s influence on trust formation, identify conceptual and methodological gaps, and characterize the current evidence base. The analysis included 15 empirical studies across interpersonal, clinical, robotic, and institutional trust contexts. We further performed a hypothesis-generating convergence analysis of neurochemical, neuroimaging, and electrophysiological findings from the broader music and trust literatures. Results: The review revealed sparse but suggestive evidence that musical interventions may influence trust-related outcomes. Convergence analysis identified shared mechanisms in dopaminergic reward pathways, the salience and default-mode networks, and EEG markers of salience and affect. Importantly, these patterns are interpreted as theoretical and exploratory, rather than direct evidence linking music and trust. Discussion: Based on these findings, we propose the Preparatory Optimization Hypothesis, which posits that music may not directly induce trust, but instead primes affective, cognitive, and social systems to support its formation. This work extends music psychology beyond emotion and prosociality to include foundational social-cognitive processes, offering a testable framework for future interdisciplinary research at the interface of music and trust.

Jealousy typically emerges when individuals sense that their romantic relationships may be threatened by others who display characteristics indicative of high mate quality. Previous research has found that in contexts of intrasexual competition, feminine female voices indicate high mate value and elicit stronger jealousy responses from other women. However, studies on individual differences in jealousy sensitivity are limited. Body size is an important factor that influences women's mating behavior. In the current study, we investigated the effect of women's height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) on their jealousy sensitivity to other women's vocal femininity. Results showed that women perceived more feminine voices as more jealousy‐inducing, and this effect was modulated by body size. Taller women demonstrated heightened sensitivity to vocal changes in pitch and formants, while slimmer women and those with a lower BMI showed increased sensitivity to pitch variations in competitive scenarios. These findings indicate that body size significantly shapes individual differences in jealousy sensitivity during intrasexual competition. Our study supports the mate quality–jealousy hypothesis, highlighting how traits perceived as indicators of higher mate quality amplify jealousy responses. The current research extends the literature on vocal cues and attractiveness by demonstrating how these factors influence emotional reactions such as jealousy.

Introduction: Sexual dimorphism plays an important role not only in gender perception but also in social judgment (e.g., dominance). Body size is a key indicator of men’s formidability, influencing their sensitivity to masculinity-based dominance toward other men. However, it remains unclear whether body size also affects men’s sensitivity to sexually dimorphic features in gender perception.Methods and results: In the current study, we found that men with larger body sizes—operationalized by height, weight, and BMI—exhibited reduced sensitivity to sexually dimorphic facial features during gender judgment. This finding suggests that individual differences (e.g., body size) can modulate men’s sensitivity to the perception of sexually dimorphic traits, potentially cascading into altered sensitivity to social judgments based on these features. In addition, the current study revealed that men showed greater sensitivity to sexually dimorphic features on male faces compared to female faces.Discussion: Overall, these findings contribute to the literature on individual differences in sensitivity to sexually dimorphic features and their implications for social judgment.

Jealousy responses to potential mating rivals are stronger when those rivals display cues indicating higher mate quality. One such cue is vocal femininity in women's voices, with higher-pitched voices eliciting greater jealousy responses. However, cues to mate quality are not evaluated in isolation. The steroid androstadienone (AND) is a putative sex pheromone that makes women perceive ambiguous stimuli as more masculine. We hypothesized that AND would decrease the association between vocal femininity and jealousy, as it induces a perceptual bias that is incongruent with the femininity of the voice. In a double-blind, within-subjects study, 70 heterosexual Chinese women in the periovulatory phase of their menstrual cycle came to the laboratory twice to listen to pairs of voices manipulated to sound more or less feminine. For each pair, the participants selected the voice that would elicit more jealousy if flirting with their partner. The results showed that vocal femininity provoked jealousy under control conditions, replicating previous findings. However, this effect was weakened when women were exposed to AND, suggesting that AND disrupts sensitivity to vocal cues about mate quality in same-sex competition. These results demonstrate a contextual modulation of jealousy responses to sexual rivals.

Faces appear more attractive when presented in a group compared to individually, which is called cheerleader effect. However, the presentation time of faces is likely to influence the cheerleader effect, as time factors have been shown to have a significant impact in many other studies on face perception. Here, we conducted five experiments to investigate the effect of presentation time on the cheerleader effect. Across five behavioral experiments (including in-lab and online tasks, and pre-registration), we tested 473 subjects. We observed a negative, nonlinear effect of pre-cue time (the time before indicating the target face's location) on the cheerleader effect (Experiments 1 and 3). Moreover, via a novel design, we identified the optimal pre-cue duration that produces the peak cheerleader effect (Experiment 3), which can provide a reference for future research on setting presentation times. However, the cheerleader effect was not influenced by post-cue time (Experiments 4 and 5). These results suggest that the potential perceptual process involved in the "overestimation" of the attractiveness of the target face within a group occurs before cue appearing. From the timing perspective, this study provides a novel contribution to unifying the underlying mechanisms of the cheerleader effect.

Children with prosopagnosia, also known as face blindness, struggle to recognize the faces of acquaintances, which can have a negative impact on their social interactions and overall functioning. This paper reviews existing research on interventions for children with prosopagnosia, including compensatory and remedial strategies, and provides a summary and comparison of their effectiveness. However, despite the availability of these interventions, their effectiveness remains limited and constrained by various factors. The lack of a widely accepted treatment for children with prosopagnosia emphasizes the need for further research to improve intervention strategies. Last, three future research directions were proposed to improve interventions for prosopagnosia, including ecological approaches, the social challenges faced by children, and new potential intervention methods.