Facial-width-to-height ratio predicts perceptions of integrity in males

People rapidly make attributions of others' personality, cognitive abilities, and intentions based on facial appearance alone, which in turn, can have consequential outcomes. One objective measure of facial structure, the facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR), has been linked to perceptions of trustworthiness such that wider-faced men are perceived as less trustworthy than narrower-faced men. In the current study we aimed to extend our understanding of this finding by exploring how fWHR relates to three key components of perceived trustworthiness: perceived ability, perceived benevolence, and perceived integrity. We found that narrower-faced individuals were more often perceived as possessing greater integrity than wider-faced individuals, whereas neither narrower nor wider-faced individuals were perceived as possessing greater ability or benevolence. These findings have implications for research on perceived trustworthiness, facial appearance and impression management. •Relationships between the facial-width-to-height ratio (fWHR) and perceptions of trustworthiness were explored.•Perceptions of trustworthiness examined include perceptions of integrity, benevolence and ability.•fWHR was negatively related to perceptions of integrity but not related to perceptions of ability or benevolence.•Provides a critical step in understanding the impact that facial structure can have on social attributions of others