Dominic King

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A trustworthy face?

Most of us make an instant judgement of someone based purely on their face, but how accurate are these perceptions?

Most of us have played ‘spot the baddie’ when watching TV, but now a new academic study into facial stereotyping reveals some of the key factors that inform our perceptions and provides a composite picture of the face that could quite literally get away with murder.

A research team led by Dr Chris Solomon from the University of Kent was tasked with analysing the facial features that we identify with honesty and trust to help build a composite picture of the ideal trustworthy face.

Dr Solomon is also director of a company which supplies facial composite software to the police, and he chats to BBC Radio Kent's Dominic King about his work, and what makes the ideal face for crime. Would you expect to see either of the faces below on Crimewatch?

Dominic King chats to Dr Chris Solomon >

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Take a look at the two men and tell us which one you would trust, if any?

last updated: 17/11/2008 at 12:52
created: 14/11/2008

Have Your Say

Would you trust either of these me?

Irene
I think I'd be more inclined to trust the bearded man, there is something about the eyes of the clean shaven man that I do not like - despite the beard and the glasses, the bearded man appears more approachable.
Fri Nov 21 15:02:50 2008

Jason
I would trust the one on the right more. He looks more open with less to hide
Fri Nov 21 12:59:49 2008

Matthew
Both look like criminals, but i would trust the one on the right more.
Mon Nov 17 18:19:18 2008

Tony Maund
Neither, because I have to have a one to one meeting first, before forming any opinion. I have never relied on photographs as a method of gauging a personality or character traiat. I always trust my own judgement in such matters from a face to face meeting and it has rarely let me down over the years in both business and personal life. The good thing about radio is that you can tell more easily when someone is fibbing or being evasive rather than on tv which is a lot about visual impact. OK voice intonations can be trained but speech patterns linked to emotional reactions are much more difficult to camouflage. I have heard Dom ion the radio and I can tell when he is telling a whopper! The other guy is a don't know but the facial characterisstics are not promising!Of all the BBC Radio Kent presenters the one on the right is the one I would trust the least with my bag of chips if I had to pop into the public loo for a quick wee
Mon Nov 17 13:06:52 2008

Penny Hayward
The one on the right, mainly because he is a familiar face and is smiling.
Mon Nov 17 12:08:00 2008

Kent Bengtsson
The Right one. The other one does not look like a real person, hence nothing to trust.Generally the happier and more alive a person is the more trustworthy.
Mon Nov 17 08:50:01 2008

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Dominic King

A trustworthy face?

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