A Second Perspective on First Impressions: Does the Valence–Dominance Model Extend to Bodies in Front and Profile View?

A widely accepted model of first impressions posits that trait judgements of faces have two orthogonal underlying dimensions: 'valence' (trustworthiness) and 'dominance'. Studies have tested whether this model extends to body perception, but results were inconsistent. Given previous findings that stimulus viewpoints can significantly alter trait ratings of bodies, the present study aimed to determine whether this confound can explain the discrepancy between previous studies. Participants rated 100 bodies in either frontal or profile view on 14 personality traits. The resulting data were then analysed using principal components analysis (PCA) and exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The PCA and EFA produced two factors regardless of viewpoint, replicating the valence-dominance model for frontal and profile stimuli. As stimulus viewpoint did not strongly affect the underlying factors, the discrepancy between past papers is likely due to other stimulus differences. The present study confirmed that the valence-dominance model applies to body perception, raising the possibility that this model may apply to person perception more generally. Future research should determine whether these dimensions arise in other modalities, such as movement perception (e.g., walking gait) or touch perception (e.g., handshakes).