How environmental cues shape human face value perceptions—an exploration based on grounded theory

Liming Chen, Changpeng Yang, Youyi Li, Yang Luo

Frontiers in Psychology, 2026

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DOI 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1712907
Data confidence 70 medium
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Abstract

A high level of physical attractiveness can confer significant economic resources and behavioural advantages in social development, leading to increasing attention on the ‘appearance economy’. While evaluations of attractiveness lack uniform standards, it is intriguing that the public exhibits a high degree of consensus regarding who qualifies as ‘highly attractive’. This phenomenon suggests an underlying, discernible logic within aesthetic judgements. Faced with the escalating prevalence of ‘appearance capitalism’, there is an academic imperative to provide a theoretical interpretation of ‘physical attractiveness’, particularly to clarify the underlying logic of its aesthetic judgments. To explore this logic, this paper employs a Grounded Theory methodology. Through in-depth interviews with 35 participants from diverse backgrounds and genders, and following a three-tiered analytical process of open, axial, and selective coding, the data were analysed and refined. Empirical analysis of the interview data reveals that the essence of ‘facial attractiveness’ lies in a symbolically represented system jointly constructed by multiple environmental factors. This system comprises three intertextual dimensions: (1) a physiological environmental representation system formed by biological genetic attributes; (2) a material environmental representation system embodied by economic capital; and (3) a social environmental representation system shaped by accumulated socio-cultural capital. Building upon these findings, this study constructs an environmental suggestion model within the aesthetic logic of ‘facial attractiveness’. An individual’s appeal extends beyond biological optimisation of facial features, necessitating the systematic integration of multidimensional environmental factors. This integration process, functioning as a mechanism for reproducing symbolic capital, requires the establishment of a comprehensive personal charm generation system. This system operates through the three intertextual dimensions identified in this research. This theoretical framework offers a novel analytical perspective for understanding aesthetic capitalisation in contemporary society. It further establishes a conceptual model for formulating individual attractiveness management strategies.