Examining Faces: Transgender and Subconscious Perceptions

Transgender women are a marginalized group in society.
Research suggests there are specific parts of
the brain, such as the fusiform face area, dedicated
to recognizing faces. Subsequently, cisnormative
facial structures are the standard by which attractiveness
is determined. Studies have shown that the
upper third region including the glabellar is a determining
facial feature when recognizing gender. The objective of this paper is to determine whether the
glabellar serves as an indicator of social stigma via
eye-tracking technology. Subjects will view portraits
varying in transgender and cisgender women with a
questionnaire to rate the models’ attractiveness. The
data acquired may provide insight to the differences
in perception when comparing the faces of trans
women and cis women.