Running head: MALE AND FEMALE SMILE HABITS

Male and Female Smile Habits

Noah Long
University of Kentucky

MALE AND FEMALE SMILE HABITS

Abstract
This research was conducted to find out if males or females smiled more, on average. The
research was conducted by viewing images on Facebook, which is a public site. The peoples
profiles that were viewed, were then examined to see if the profile picture showed a recognizable
picture. If so, that picture was then examined and was determined what kind of smile the person
had. A likered scale was used to determine if the person was smiling or not. That is how the data
was collected as well. If the person was smiling, it was marked down as a smile for that gender.
This data is what led to the conclusion, that the original hypothesis was correct; that females
smile more often than males. This data contributes to literature because it reaffirms the
previously held belief that females smile more than males.

MALE AND FEMALE SMILE HABITS

Method
The classes research question was to see if males or females smiled more often. For us to
find out the answer to this question, we conducted a very simple experiment. The group first had
to define who the subjects would be. The subjects were the Facebook friends of our instructor.
The group could use them because it provided us a picture of the individual and because
Facebook is a public site. We choose twenty females and twenty males to review. Of the forty
subjects, two were from China, one was from Korea and the remaining thirty-seven were from
the United States. To judge the smiles of each of the forty participants, a Likert scale was used,
that was created by Rensis Likert. The scale ranged from one, being no smile, all the way to five,
which was smiling with all teeth. The study was then conducted. The class had a classmate stand
in the front of the room and mark where each person feel within the Likert scale. A T chart was
created with males on the left and females on the right. The class as a whole then looked at the
images of the participants via a projector. The class then voted on what score each person got in
regards to their smile. When the majority of the class agreed on a score for the smile, the person
at the front of the room would write the score under the male side if that subject was male, and
they would put it under the female side if the subject was a female. The class did that for twenty
females and twenty males.

MALE AND FEMALE SMILE HABITS

Results
In order to examine the differences between male and female smiles, our class preformed
an independent t-test. The test showed that there was not a significant difference in smiles
between males and females. The average smile score for males was a 2.9. The average smile
score for females was a 3.7. The average scores were based on a one to five Likert scale with one
being no smile and five being a wide smile with teeth.

MALE AND FEMALE SMILE HABITS

Discussion
The question that our research was trying to answer was simply, do males or females smile
more? That was the main question that we raised, but during the research, more questions needed
to be answered. One being how to determine what a smile is. Should it be considered a smile if
the subject is not showing teeth? The group found that the results supported the hypothesis that
females would smile more often than males. The research gave the information that on average,
females smiled more than males. On average, females scored a 3.7 on the scale whereas males
only scored a 2.9 on average. Comparing the research to that of Research Methods With A
Smile: A Gender Difference Exercise That Teaches Methodology (Lipsitz, 2000), it was found
that the research had a slight difference in the way we collected data. Lipsitz used a yearbook,
whereas our class used Facebook. The data contributes to literature on this subject because it
shows that this type of research can be used and even bettered by the use of new technologies
and social media. The research shows that this subject is still relevant. The only main confound
that was found with the research is that the group could not really decide on how to define a
smile. The group eventually settled into an agreement but I suspect that there were still people
that disagreed with the way we decided to define a smile, as a group. In the future, the group
should
make sure that everyone participating in conducting the research agreed on how to define what a
smile was and to be more specific, how each smile ranked on our scale.

MALE AND FEMALE SMILE HABITS

References
Lipsitz, A. (2000). Teaching of Psychology. In Research Methods With a Smile:
A Gender Difference Exercise That Teaches Methodology (2nd ed., Vol. 27, pp. 111113). Northern Kentucky University.

Al-Habahbeh, R., Al-Shammout, R., Al-Jabrah, D., & Al-Omari, D. (2009). The
Effect of Gender on Tooth and Gingival Display in the Anterior Region at Rest and
During Smiling (Vol. 4, pp. 382-394). The European Journal of Esthetic Dentistry.

MALE AND FEMALE SMILE HABITS

Tables and Figures

Table 1.

95% CI
Group

SD

FEMALE

3.7

MALE

2.9

Note: M = Mean;

LL

UL

t(39)

1.486607 1

0.077

1.220656 1

0.077

MALE AND FEMALE SMILE HABITS

Table 1. Average smiles between males and females. Females information (row 1) and male information
(row 2). M= Mean; Females= 3.7 Males= 2.9

MALE AND FEMALE SMILE HABITS

Figure 1.

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MALE AND FEMALE SMILE HABITS

Figure 1. Figure 1 averages of female and male smiles. Female averages (column 1) and male averages (
column 2)