The Influence of Facial Attractiveness on Empathy: A Systematic Review

This systematic review examines the impact of facial attractiveness on empathic responses. By synthesizing findings from behavioral studies, EEG, fMRI, EMG, and fNIRS research, it examines whether and how attractiveness modulates empathy at cognitive and emotional levels. The results indicate that attractive faces often trigger stronger automatic empathic reactions, likely driven by emotional contagion and positive beauty stereotypes. Conversely, in conscious empathic tasks or those requiring cognitive effort, greater empathy tends to be shown towards less attractive individuals. Significant differences related to gender, moral context, and participant experience reveal the relationship between physical attractiveness and empathy. Overall, facial attractiveness has a significant impact on empathy; however, its influence varies depending on the type of empathic process and the experimental conditions. This review offers new insights into distinguishing the affective and cognitive components of empathy and suggests ways to manipulate empathic responses through physical appearance cues.