Validation of Facial Attributions in Leadership: Trustworthiness and Age in Chinese Mid-Level Management

TY - JOUR

T1 - Validation of Facial Attributions in Leadership

T2 - Trustworthiness and Age in Chinese Mid-Level Management

AU - Ma, Jing Rachel

A2 - Perrett, David

N1 - © 2025 Ma, Perrett.

PY - 2025/5/27

Y1 - 2025/5/27

N2 - The attributions made to faces are well described by two dimensions of apparent trustworthiness (valence or warmth) and apparent competence (dominance and power) (Todorov A, Mende-Siedlecki P, Dotsch R. Curr Opin Neurobiol, 2013, 23, 373–80). This model has been extended to include a third dimension of apparent age and attractiveness (Sutherland CAM, Oldmeadow JA, Santos IM, Towler J, Michael Burt D, Young AW. Cognition, 2013, 127, 105–18). Previous research has tested the association between appearance and leadership attainment for high-level leaders such as elite politicians and chief executive officers of top performing organisations in the US and Western Europe. Here we focus on a Chinese organisational context and explore how facial attributions are associated with appointment at mid-level managerial positions. Participants rated leadership, competence, trustworthiness, attractiveness and age of faces of male employees of a Chinese Real Estate company. Our findings reveal that apparent trustworthiness and age are more critical predictors of leadership attainment than competence or attractiveness in the context of mid-level management in China. The study supports the three-dimensional attribution framework and reaffirms the importance of facial cues in leadership selection across diverse cultural settings.

AB - The attributions made to faces are well described by two dimensions of apparent trustworthiness (valence or warmth) and apparent competence (dominance and power) (Todorov A, Mende-Siedlecki P, Dotsch R. Curr Opin Neurobiol, 2013, 23, 373–80). This model has been extended to include a third dimension of apparent age and attractiveness (Sutherland CAM, Oldmeadow JA, Santos IM, Towler J, Michael Burt D, Young AW. Cognition, 2013, 127, 105–18). Previous research has tested the association between appearance and leadership attainment for high-level leaders such as elite politicians and chief executive officers of top performing organisations in the US and Western Europe. Here we focus on a Chinese organisational context and explore how facial attributions are associated with appointment at mid-level managerial positions. Participants rated leadership, competence, trustworthiness, attractiveness and age of faces of male employees of a Chinese Real Estate company. Our findings reveal that apparent trustworthiness and age are more critical predictors of leadership attainment than competence or attractiveness in the context of mid-level management in China. The study supports the three-dimensional attribution framework and reaffirms the importance of facial cues in leadership selection across diverse cultural settings.

KW - Leadership Perception

KW - Age

KW - Attractiveness

KW - Leader Selection

KW - Facial Cues

KW - Cross-Cultural Perception

KW - Valence–Dominance Model

U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0324508

DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0324508

M3 - Article

C2 - 40424261

SN - 1932-6203

VL - 20

JO - PLoS ONE

JF - PLoS ONE

IS - 5

M1 - e0324508

ER -