Yong Zhi Foo

My research crosses the boundaries of evolutionary biology and psychology to study person perception. In particular, I study the physical traits that lead us to perceive some individuals as more attractive, trustworthy, and dominant, whether such perceptions are accurate, and the biological basis for such perceptions (e.g. are attractive physical features signals of good health and diet).

More broadly, I study trade-offs between different life-history traits, including attractiveness, competitiveness, fertility, and health, using both human and cross-species comparative datasets. I rely on a number of paradigms, including large-scale cohort studies, laboratory facial perception experiments, experimental diet studies, and meta-analysis.