In times of war or crisis , we tend to choose leaders with masculine features on their faces , while in times of peace or negotiation we look for faces with feminine features , regardless of gender. This is the conclusion reached by Brian Spisak and Mark Van Vugt, from the University of Kent (Great Britain), after carrying out a series of experiments in which they digitally manipulated certain photographs, to masculinize or feminize facial features, and then asked to more than a hundred volunteers who chose a leader for different scenarios, including periods of war, moments of transition, times of peace and the months immediately after a natural disaster (fire, earthquake, …).
The results revealed that when choosing a leader to represent us in troubled times, we usually look at the face and choose those with very masculine features. Also, in these situations we go for older leaders . By contract, when it comes to looking for a leader to negotiate or maintain a peaceful situation , we go for young people with feminine facial features .
