Evidence for the Use of Minimal Anthropomorphic Features in Attributions for Automobiles

The present study examined the role of minimal features in humans' attributions for automobiles. This work extends research on minimal features in drawn stimuli by testing whether the findings extend to real automobiles. Participants viewed sixteen front ends of cars that varied in terms of the shape of the headlights and the shape of the grill. Each was rated in terms of attractiveness and six affective states used to describe human faces. As in studies with both drawn stimuli and human faces, headlight (eye) shape was highly associated with attractiveness, whereas grill (mouth) shape was more predictive of negative ratings. Minimal features lead to anthropomorphic attributions for automobiles.