Are average facial configurations attractive only because of their symmetry?

Several commentators have suggested that the attractiveness of average faci al configurations could be due solely to associated changes in symmetry. If this symmetry hypothesis is correct, then averageness should not account f or significant variance in attractiveness ratings when the effect of symmet ry is partialed out Furthermore, changes in attractiveness produced by mani pulating the averageness of individual faces should disappear when all the images are mode perfectly symmetric. The experiments reported support neith er prediction. Symmetry and averageness (or distinctiveness, the converse o f averageness) made independent contributions to attractiveness (Experiment s I and 2), and changes in attractiveness resulting from changes in average ness remained when the images were made perfectly symmetric (Experiment 2). These results allow us to reject the symmetry hypothesis, and strengthen t he evidence that facial averageness is attractive.