Staff Profile

Dr Anthony Little

Royal Society University Research Fellow, Behaviour and Evolution & The Face and Development of Communication, Psychology
University of Stirling Stirling FK9 4LA Scotland, UK
+ 44 (0) 1786 467651
anthony.little@stir.ac.uk
I recieved my undergraduate degree in psychology from Durham University and completed a MSc in research methods at the University of Stirling. I then pursued a PhD at St Andrews University studying sexual selection using human face preferences. While at St Andrews I was also a research assistant to Prof. David Perrett and completed my PhD work under his supervision. I previously lectured at Liverpool University in the School of Biology, where I taught on a course in zoology with evolutionary psychology and on a masters course in evolutionary psychology. I currently hold a Royal Society University Research Fellowship which supports my research here at Stirling.
I am interested in faces and the information that is available from them. My research has used computer morphing techniques to manipulate faces for studying attraction, recognition, and social cognition. My research has focused on whether an evolutionary approach can help answer the question of what makes certain faces attractive and why certain traits may be valued. I am particularly interested in individual differences in perception and whether such differences can be explained via evolutionary theory. Recently I have become interested in how the brain represents faces.
In the past I have taught courses on Biological Psychology and Evolutionary Psychology. I have also taught on a MSc in Evolutionary Psychology. Currently I supervise final year projects and give guest lectures on various courses.

To download PDF's of recent articles please visit www.alittlelab.com and go to the publications page.

In Press

  1. Little AC, Saxton TK, Roberts SC, Jones BC, DeBruine LM, Vukovic J, Perrett DI, Feinberg DR, & Chenore T. Women’s preferences for masculinity in male faces are highest during reproductive age-range and lower around puberty and post-menopause. Psychoneuroendrocrinology.

2010

  1. Bestelmeyer PEG, Jones BC, DeBruine LM, Little AC, & Welling LLM. (2010). Face aftereffects demonstrate interdependent processing of expression and sex and of expression and race. Visual Cognition, 18, 255-274.
  2. Jones BC, DeBruine LM, Little AC, Feinberg DR, & Main J. (2010). Enhanced reflexive gaze-following of faces with exaggerated sexual dimorphism. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 277, 617-624.
  3. Jones BC, Feinberg DR, DeBruine LM, Little AC, & Vukovic J. (2010). A domain-specific opposite-sex bias in human preferences for manipulated voice pitch. Animal Behaviour, 79, 57-62.
  4. Conway CA, Jones BC, DeBruine LM, & Little AC. (2010). Sexual dimorphism of male face shape, partnership status and the temporal context of relationship sought modulate women's preferences for direct gaze. British Journal of Psychology, 101(1), 109-121.

2009

  1. Smith FG, Jones BC, Little AC, DeBruine LM, Welling LLM, Vukovic J, & Conway CA. (2009). Individual differences in the effect of relationship context on women’s preferences for sexual dimorphism in male face shape. Journal of Evolutionary Psychology, 7(3), 195-210.
  2. Main JC, Jones BC, DeBruine LM, & Little AC. Integrating gaze direction and sexual dimorphism of face shape when perceiving the dominance of others. Perception 38(9), 1275-1283.
  3. Welling LLM, DeBruine LM, Bestelmeyer PEG, Little AC, & Jones BC. (2009). View-contingent aftereffects suggest joint coding of face shape and view. Perception, 38, 133-141.
  4. Welling LLM, DeBruine LM, Little AC, & Jones BC. Extraversion predicts individual differences in women’s face preferences. Personality and Individual Differences, 47, 996-998.
  5. Smith FG, Jones BC, Welling LLM, Little AC, Vukovic J, Main JC, & DeBruine LM. Waist-hip ratio, but not BMI, influences women’s preferences for masculine male faces. Personality and Individual Differences, 47, 476-480.
  6. Saxton TK, DeBruine LM, Jones BC, Little AC, & Roberts SC. Face and voice attractiveness judgments change during adolescence. Evolution and Human Behaviour, 30, 398-408.
  7. Saxton TK, Little AC, DeBruine LM, Jones BC, & Roberts SC. (2009). Adolescents’ preferences for sexual dimorphism are influenced by relative exposure to male and female faces. Personality and Individual Differences, 47, 864-868.
  8. Saxton TK, Little AC, Rowland HM, Gao T, & Roberts SC. (2009). Trade-offs between markers of absolute and relative quality in human facial preferences. Behavioural Ecology, 20, 1133-1137.
  9. Currie TE. & Little AC. (2009). The relative importance of the face and body in judgments of human physical attractiveness. Evolution and Human Behaviour, 30, 409-416.
  10. Roberts SC, Saxton TK, Murray AK, Burriss RP, Rowland HM, & Little AC. (2009). Static and dynamic facial images cue similar attractiveness judgements. Ethology, 115, 588-595.
  11. Smith FG, Jones BC, DeBruine LM, & Little AC. (2009). Interactions between masculinity-femininity and apparent health in face preferences. Behavioral Ecology, 20, 441-445.
  12. Vukovic J, Jones BC, DeBruine LM, Little AC, & Feinberg DR. Circum-menopausal changes in women’s face preferences. Biology Letters, 5, 62-64.
  13. Roberts SC, Little AC, Lyndon A, Roberts J, & Wright RL. (2009). Increase in self-rated and other-rated confidence and attractiveness of young men associated with manipulation of body odour. International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 37, 41-54.
  14. Gerald MS, Waitt C, & Little AC. (2009). Pregnancy coloration in macaques may act as a warning signal to reduce antagonism by conspecifics. Behavioural Processes 80, 7-11.
  15. Burriss RP, Rowland HM, & Little AC. Facial scarring enhances male attractiveness for short-term relationships. Personality and Individual Differences, 46, 213-217.

2008

  1. Saxton TK, Lyndon A, Little AC, & Roberts SC. (2008). Androstadienone, a putative human social chemosignal, modulates female attributions of male attractiveness in some contexts. Hormones & Behaviour, 54, 597-601.
  2. Welling LLM, Jones BC, DeBruine LM, Smith FG, Feinberg DR, Little AC, & Al-Dujaili EAS. (2008). Attraction to feminine faced women is stronger when men’s testosterone levels are high. Hormones and Behavior, 53, 703-708.
  3. Jones BC, DeBruine LM, & Little AC. (2008). Adaptation reinforces preferences for attractive faces. Visual Cognition, 16, 849-858.
  4. Vukovic J, Feinberg DR, Jones BC, DeBruine LM, Welling LLM, Little AC, Smith FG. (2008). Self-rated attractiveness is positively associated with women’s preferences for masculinity in men’s voices. Personality and Individual Differences, 45, 451-456.
  5. Apicella CL, Dreber A, Campbell BC, Ellison P, Gray PB, Hoffman M, & Little AC. (2008). Testosterone and Financial Risk-Taking. Evolution and Human Behaviour. 29, 384-390.
  6. Little AC, DeBruine LM, Jones BC, & Feinberg DR. (2008). Symmetry and sexual-dimorphism in human faces: interrelationships in preference suggest both signal quality. Behavioural Ecology, 19(4), 902-908.
  7. Little AC, Jones BC, & DeBruine LM. (2008). Preferences for variation in masculinity in real male faces change across the menstrual cycle. Personality and Individual Differences, 45, 478–482.
  8. Feinberg DR, Jones BC, DeBruine LM, & Little AC. (2008). Preferences for men's facial and vocal masculinity are correlated: evidence for multiple quality signals. Evolution and Human Behaviour, 29(4), 233-241.
  9. Little AC, Jones BC, Waitt C, Tiddeman BP, Feinberg DR, Perrett DI, Apicella CA, & Marlowe FW. Symmetry is related to sexual dimorphism in faces: data across culture and species. PLOS one 3(5): e2106. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002106.
  10. Conway CA, Jones BC, DeBruine LM, Little AC, Hay J, Perrett DI & Feinberg DR. (2008). Integrating physical and social cues when forming face preferences: Differences among low and high anxiety individuals. Social Neuroscience 1(3), 89-95.
  11. Conway CA, Jones BC, DeBruine LM, Little AC, & Sahraie A. (2008). Transient pupil constrictions to faces are sensitive to orientation and species. Journal of Vision, 8(3):17, 1-11.
  12. Jones BC, Feinberg DR, DeBruine LM, & Little AC. (2008). Integrating cues of social interest and voice pitch in men¹s preferences for women¹s voices. Biology Letters, 4(2), 192-194.
  13. Bestelmeyer PEG, Jones BC, DeBruine LM, Little AC, Perrett DI, A Schneider, Welling LLM, & Conway CA. (2008). Sex-contingent face aftereffects depend on perceptual category rather than structural encoding. Cognition, 107, 353-365.
  14. Little AC, Burriss RP, Jones BC, DeBruine LM, & Caldwell CA. (2008). Social influence in human face preference: men and women are influenced more for long-term than short-term attractiveness decisions. Evolution and Human Behaviour, 29, 140-146.
  15. Jones BC, DeBruine LM, Perrett DI, Little AC, Feinberg DR, & Law Smith MJ. (2008). Effects of menstrual cycle phase on face preferences. Archives of Sexual Behaviour, 37(1), 78-84.
  16. DeBruine LM, Little AC, Perrett DI, & Jones BC. (In Press). Social perception of facial resemblance in humans. Archives of Sexual Behaviour, 37(1), 64-77.
  17. Roberts SC & Little AC. (2008). Good genes, complementary genes and human mate preferences. Genetica, 132, 309–321.
  18. Little AC, DeBruine LM, Jones BC, & Waitt C. (2008). Category contingent face aftereffects for race, age, and species. Cognition, 106, 1537-1547.
  19. Conway CA, Jones BC, DeBruine LM, & Little AC. (2008). Evidence for adaptive design in human gaze preference. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B, 275, 63-54.

2007

  1. Little AC, Burriss RP, Jones BC & Roberts SC. (2007). Facial appearance affects voting decisions . Evolution and Human Behaviour, 28, 18– 27.
  2. Little AC & Perrett DI. (2007). Using composite face images to assess accuracy in personality attribution. British Journal of Psychology, 98, 111–126
  3. Jones BC, DeBruine LM, Little AC, Burriss RP, & Feinberg DR. (2007). Social transmission of face preferences influences judgments of attractiveness in humans. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, B, 274 (1611): 899-903.
  4. Little AC, Cohen D, Jones BC, & Belsky J. (2007). Variable preferences for facial sexual dimorphism according to temporal context and environmental risk in humans. Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology, 61, 967-973.
  5. Burriss RP, Little AC, & Nelson E. (2007). 2D:4D ratio is related to sexually dimorphic facial characteristics and perceived dominance. Archives of Sexual Behaviour, 36 (3), 377-384.
  6. Little AC, Jones BC, & Burriss RP. (2007). Preferences for masculinity in male bodies change across the menstrual cycle. Hormones & Behaviour, 51, 633–639.
  7. Gerald MS, Waitt C, Little AC, Kraiselburd E. (2007). Females pay attention toward female secondary sexual color: An experimental study in rhesus macaques. International Journal of Primatology, 28 (1): 1-7.
  8. Jones BC, DeBruine LM, Little AC, & Feinberg DR. (2007). The valence of experiences with faces influences generalized preferences. Journal of Evolutionary Psychology, 1-4, 119-130.
  9. Mehu M, Little AC, & Dunbar RIM. (2007). Duchenne smiles and the perception of generosity and sociability in faces. Journal of Evolutionary Psychology, 1-4, 183-196.
  10. Little AC & Hill R. (2007). Social perception of red suggests special role in dominance signalling. Journal of Evolutionary Psychology, 1-4, 161-168.
  11. Little AC, Jones, BC, Burt DM, & Perrett DI. (2007). Preferences for symmetry in faces change across the menstrual cycle. Biological Psychology, 76, 209–216.
  12. Welling LLM, Jones BC, DeBruine LM, Conway CA, Law Smith MJ, Little AC, Feinberg DR, Sharp MA, Al-Dujaili EAS. (2007). Raised salivary testosterone in women is associated with increased attraction to masculine faces. Hormones & Behaviour, 52 (2), 156-161.
  13. Jones BC, DeBruine LM, & Little AC, Conway CA, Welling LLM, Smith F. (2007). Sensation seeking and men's face preferences. Evolution and Human Behaviour, 28, 439-446.
  14. Jones BC, DeBruine LM, & Little AC. (2007). The role of symmetry in attraction to average faces. Perception and Psychophysics, 69 (8), 1273-1277.
  15. Little AC, Apicella CL, & Marlowe FW. (2007). Preferences for symmetry in human faces in two cultures: data from the UK and the Hadza, an isolated group of hunter-gatherers. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, B, 274, 3113-3117.
  16. Apicella C, Little AC, & Marlowe F. (2007). Facial averageness and attractiveness in an isolated population of hunter-gatherers. Perception, 36(12) 1813 – 1820.
  17. DeBruine LM, Jones BC, Unger L, Little AC, & Feinberg DR. (2007). Dissociating averageness and attractiveness: Attractive faces are not always average. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 33, 1420-1430.

2006

  1. Penton-Voak IS, Pound N, Little AC, & Perrett DI. (In Press). Accuracy in personality attributions made on the basis of facial characteristics. Social Cognition, 24, 607-640.
  2. Little AC & Jones BC. (2006). Attraction independent of detection suggests special mechanisms for symmetry preferences in human face perception. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, B 273, 3093–3099.
  3. Little AC & Mannion HD. (2006). Viewing attractive or unattractive same-sex images affects preferences for sexual dimorphism in opposite-sex faces. Animal Behaviour 72, 981-987.
  4. Little AC, Burt DM, & Perrett DI. (2006). What is good is beautiful: face preference reflects desired personality. Personality and Individual Differences 41, 1107-1118.
  5. Waitt C & Little AC (2006). Preferences for symmetry in conspecific facial shape among rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). International Journal of Primatology 27, 133-145 .
  6. Jones BC, DeBruine LM, Little AC, Feinberg DR. (2006). Integrating gaze direction and expression in preferences for attractive faces. Psychological Science 17, 588-591.
  7. Buckingham G, DeBruine LM, Little AC, Welling L, Conway C, Tiddeman BP, Jones BC. (2006). Visual adaptation to masculine and feminine faces influences generalized preferences and perceptions of trustworthiness. Evolution and human Behaviour 27, 381-389.
  8. Waitt C, Gerald MS, Little AC, & Kraiselburd E (2006). Selective attention toward female secondary sexual color in male rhesus macaques. American Journal of Primatology, 68, 738-744.
  9. Burriss RP & Little AC (2006). Male perceptions of rival’s dominance increase when their partners are most fertile. Evolution and human Behaviour 27, 297-305.
  10. DeBruine LM, Jones BC, Little AC et al. (2006). Correlated preferences for facial masculinity and ideal or actual partner’s masculinity. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, B 273, 1355-1360.
  11. Little AC, Burt DM, & Perrett, DI (2006). Assortative mating for perceived personality in faces. Personality and Individual Differences 40, 973-984.

2005

  1. Little AC, DeBruine LM, & Jones BC (2005). Sex contingent aftereffects suggest distinct neural populations code male and female faces. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, B., 272, 2283-2287. (Authors contributed equally).
  2. Jones BC, Little AC, Boothroyd LG, DeBruine LM, Feinberg DR, Law Smith MJ, Cornwell RE, Moore FR, Perrett DI  (2005). Commitment to relationships and preferences for femininity and apparent health in faces are strongest on days of the menstrual cycle when progesterone level is high. Hormones and Behavior, 48, 283-290.
  3. Boothroyd LG, Burt DM, Cornwell RE, Jones BC, Little AC, Tiddeman BP, & Perrett DI (2005). Facial masculinity is related to perceived age but not perceived health. Evolution and human Behaviour, 26, 417-431.
  4. Jones BC, Little AC, Boothroyd L, Feinberg DR, Cornwell RE, DeBruine LM, Roberts SC, Penton-Voak IS, Law Smith MJ, Moore FR, Davis HP, & Perrett DI (2005). Women’s physical and psychological condition independently predict their preference for apparent health in faces. Evolution and human Behaviour, 26, 451-457.
  5. Roberts SC, Little AC, Gosling M, Jones BC, Perrett DI, Carter V, & Petrie M. (2005) MHC-assortative facial preferences in humans. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, B., 271, S270-S272 (now Biology Letters).
  6. Jones BC, Perrett DI, Little AC, Boothroyd L, Cornwell RE, Feinberg DR, Tiddeman BP, Whiten S, Pitman RW, Hillier SG, Burt DM, Stirrat MR, Law-Smith MJ, & Moore FR (2005). Menstrual cycle, pregnancy and oral contraceptive use alter attraction to apparent health in faces. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, B. 272, 347-354
  7. Roberts SC, Little AC, Gosling M, Petrie M, Jones BC, Perrett DI, & Penton-Voak IS (2005). A genetic basis to facial attractiveness. Evolution and human Behaviour, 26, 213-226.
  8. Feinberg DR, Jones BC, Little AC, Burt DM, & Perrett DI (2005). Manipulations of fundamental and formant frequencies influence the attractiveness of human male voices. Animal Behaviour, 69, 561-568.

2004

  1. Jones BC, Little AC, Penton-Voak IS, Tiddeman BP, Burt DM, & Perrett DI (2004). The relationship between symmetry and visible skin condition in male facial attractiveness. Evolution and human Behaviour. 25, 24-30.
  2. Kovács G, Gulyás B, Savic I, Perrett DI, Cornwell RE, Little AC, Jones BC, Burt DM, Gál V, & Vidnyánszky Z (2004). Smelling human sex hormone-like compounds affects face gender judgment of men. NeuroReport, 15, 1275-1277.
  3. Jones BC, Little AC, Burt DM, & Perrett DI (2004). When facial attractiveness is only skin deep. Perception, 33, 569-576.
  4. Roberts SC, Havlicek J, Flegr J, Hruskova, M, Little AC, Jones BC, Perrett DI, & Petrie M (2004) Female facial attractiveness increases during the fertile phase of the menstrual cycle. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, B., 271, S270-S272 (now Biology Letters).
  5. Cornwell RE, Boothroyd L, Burt DM, Feinberg DR, Jones BC, Little AC, Pitman R, Whiten S, & Perrett DI (2004) Concordant preferences for opposite-sex signals? Human pheromones and facial characteristics. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, B., 271, 635–640.

2003

  1. Little AC & Jones BC (2003). Evidence against perceptual bias views for symmetry preferences in human faces. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, B., 270, 1759-1763.
  2. Penton-Voak IS, Little AC, Jones BC, Burt DM, Tiddeman BP, & Perrett DI (2003). Measures of female condition influence preferences for sexual dimorphism in faces of male Homo sapiens. Journal of Comparative Psychology, 117, 264-271.
  3. Waitt C, Little AC, Wolfensohn S, Honess P, Brown AP, Buchanan-Smith HM, & Perrett DI (2003). Evidence from rhesus macaques suggests male coloration plays a role in female primate mate choice. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, B (Suppl.), 270, S144 – S146 (now Biology Letters).
  4. Little AC, Penton-Voak IS, Burt DM, & Perrett DI (2003). Investigating an imprinting-like phenomenon in humans: partners and opposite-sex parents have similar hair and eye colour. Evolution and Human Behaviour, 24, 43-51.

2002

  1. Little AC & Hancock, PJ (2002). The role of masculinity and distinctiveness on the perception of attractiveness in human male faces. British Journal of Psychology, 93, 451-464.
  2. Little AC, Jones, BC, Penton-Voak IS, Burt DM, & Perrett DI (2002). Partnership status and the temporal context of relationships influence human female preferences for sexual dimorphism in male face shape. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, B, 269, 1095-1100.
  3. Perrett DI, Penton-Voak IS, Little AC, Tiddeman BP, Burt DM, Schmidt N, Oxley R, & Barrett L (2002). Facial attractiveness judgements reflect learning of parental age characteristics. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, B, 269, 873-880.
  4. Little AC & Perrett DI (2002). Putting beauty back in the eye of the beholder: evolution and individual differences in face preference. The Psychologist, 15, 28-32.

2001

  1. Jones BC, Little AC, Penton-Voak IS, Tiddeman BP, Burt DM & Perrett DI (2001). Measured facial asymmetry and perceptual judgements of attractiveness and health. Evolution and Human Behaviour, 22, 417-429.
  2. Penton-Voak IS, Jones BC, Little AC, Baker S, Tiddeman B, Burt DM, & Perrett D I (2001). Symmetry, sexual dimorphism in facial proportions, and male facial attractiveness. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, B, 268, 1617-1623.
  3. Little AC, Burt DM, Penton-Voak, IS, & Perrett DI (2001). Self-perceived attractiveness influences human female preferences for sexual dimorphism and symmetry in male faces. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, B, 268, 39-44.
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