关键词: 面部美感, 横向手部运动, 具身隐喻, 性别差异, 漂移扩散模型

Abstract: Recent research in embodied cognition suggest that bodily movements influence abstract cognitive processes, including aesthetic evaluation, through metaphorical associations. This study focuses on how horizontal hand movements affect facial aesthetic judgments and whether these embodied effects vary by gender. Building on the idea that directional movements are metaphorically associated with evaluative concepts (e.g., “beauty moves left”), we hypothesized that leftward movement would enhance aesthetic perception and decision efficiency compared to rightward movement. We also hypothesized that this effect would be more pronounced in female participants and that manipulating spatial reference points (egocentric vs. allocentric) would modulate the approach-avoidance tendencies underlying the metaphorical mappings. Three experiments were conducted with a total of 143 right-handed Chinese university students, all with normal or corrected-to-normal vision and no history of neurological or psychological disorders. Sample sizes were determined through a priori power analysis. In each experiment, participants performed aesthetic judgments on facial images with varying levels of attractiveness while executing horizontal hand movements or key presses. All facial stimuli were selected from standardized databases and were uniformly processed. EEG data were recorded in all experiments using 64-channel electrode caps based on the international 10–20 system, and behavioral responses were collected using E-Prime software. The experimental design included trial-level variables such as joint classification response condition and spatial reference position, while gender was treated as a between-participants variable. Data were analyzed using mixed-design ANOVAs, hierarchical drift diffusion modeling (HDDM), and ERP techniques to examine behavioral differences and the underlying cognitive and neural mechanisms. Results supported our central hypotheses. In metaphor-congruent trials (e.g., “beauty-left”), participants responded more quickly and accurately in facial aesthetic judgments compared to metaphor-incongruent trials, suggesting that directional motor actions facilitated aesthetic processing when aligned with metaphorical associations. HDDM analyses further revealed that leftward movement increased drift rate, decreased decision threshold, and shortened non-decision time, indicating more efficient evidence accumulation and less cautious decision-making. These effects were particularly pronounced among female participants, reflecting gender differences in embodied sensitivity. ERP data provided converging neural evidence: the N170 component showed greater amplitudes under leftward movement, indicating enhanced early-stage face processing; both EPN and P300 amplitudes were also elevated in metaphor-congruent conditions, reflecting stronger emotional engagement and evaluative motivation. Notably, gender differences were significant in some experiments, with females showing faster responses and stronger approach-oriented tendencies. However, in Experiment 3, when spatial reference frames were manipulated to modulate approach-avoidance tendencies, this gender effect was clearly reduced, suggesting that contextual reference plays a regulatory role in embodied aesthetic processing. This study demonstrated that horizontal motor experience exerts an embodied influence on facial aesthetic processing, and this effect varies by gender. Behavioral, computational, and neurophysiological evidence showed that aesthetic judgments are shaped not only by visual input but also by motor actions and their metaphorical associations. The study expands the understanding of embodied aesthetics and highlights gender differences in sensitivity to embodied cues. These findings have practical implications for product design, user interfaces, and marketing, especially where motion-based interaction influences evaluation. Optimizing embodied interaction design requires attention to individual differences, particularly gender.

Key words: facial attractiveness, horizontal hand movement, embodied metaphor, gender differences, drift diffusion model