American research, published in Psychological Science, has found that faces seen as competent are also perceived as being more masculine.

To carry out the study, a research team at Princeton University in the US state of New Jersey, created a basic facial computational model that could be modified in several different categories each presenting different facial characteristics.

The researchers then asked 33 people to rate how competent faces appeared or their attractiveness.

They first of all found that faces designed to look more competent were also considered more attractive. They went on to find out that participants perceived more competent faces as more masculine.

The team used the findings as the basis for an online experiment in which 250 participants were asked to rate the faces they considered the most competent.

As faces increased in masculinity, so did their perceived competence, suggesting that competence and masculinity are correlated components of appearance-based first impressions.

The study highlights the problem of genuine competence and impressions of competence.

Indeed, according to the scientists, research has shown that individuals with more competent-looking faces are more likely to be elected as high-ranking politicians, such as US senators, and as the heads of large companies.

However, how competent someone looks is no guarantee of their actual competence, and such forms of gender bias can threaten social justice and create unfair environments, the researchers conclude.

The team hopes to expand the research further to investigate the origins of this gender bias.