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Study Confirms That Cars Have Personalities

Ponca City, We love you writes "A study has confirmed that many people see human facial features in the front ends of automobiles and ascribe various personality traits to cars. Forty study participants assessed cars based on a system known as geometric morphometrics by viewing high-resolution, 3D computer reconstructions and printed images of 38 actual 2004-06 car models and rating each model on 19 traits such as dominance, maturity, gender, and friendliness, and if they liked the car. Study participants liked best the cars scoring high in the so-called power traits — the most mature, masculine, arrogant, and angry-looking ones. Researchers theorized that over evolutionary time, humans have developed a selective sensitivity to features in the human face that convey information on sex, age, emotions, and intentions. The lead researcher explained, 'Seeing too many faces, even in mountains or toast, has little or no penalty, but missing or misinterpreting the face of a predator or attacker could be fatal.'"

18 of 213 comments (clear)

  1. Dupe by nacturation · · Score: 4, Funny

    Study confirms that Slashdot has dupes.

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    1. Re:Dupe by stonedcat · · Score: 2, Funny

      And bad summaries.

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    2. Re:Dupe by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Further studies show that people ascribing animalistic qualities to inanimate objects are idiots!

    3. Re:Dupe by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Even further studies show that square, pedantic nerds with no creative imagination are extremely boring people!

    4. Re:Dupe by Tablizer · · Score: 2, Funny

      Study confirms that Slashdot has dupes.

      Yes, but each dupe has a different personality. Some dupes are happy, some are sad, some are confused, and some are on crack on crack on crack.
             

    5. Re:Dupe by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      And final studies confirm that only the parent was funny.

    6. Re:Dupe by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      I read that somewhere.

    7. Re:Dupe by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      And in other news, a study confirms that Slashdot has dupes [slashdot.org].

  2. Difference between a porcupine and a BMW? by mveloso · · Score: 4, Funny

    With a porcupine, the pricks are on the outside! // old joke // had 3 bimmers, miss them all

  3. That's not all by sqrt(2) · · Score: 4, Funny

    Cars not only have personalities, they have souls! Every morning I beseech the machine spirit of my car to start the engine and have it run smoothly and reliably. It's worked so far.

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    1. Re:That's not all by xstonedogx · · Score: 2, Funny

      Interestingly enough, if you squint just right, my car looks like the Virgin Mary.

    2. Re:That's not all by Gandalf_Greyhame · · Score: 3, Funny

      I don't believe that. I've seen your car mate, and it doesn't look like no virgin to me. It's well and truly f**ked

      (btw before I get attacked for this, it is a joke ok)

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      I am not stubborn. I am right!
  4. Re:Of course... by ChromeAeonium · · Score: 5, Funny

    Japanese cars seem to go for this. The most blatant example is the Miata.

    And then there are badass cars like this. To misquote Firefly, 'A man drives down the street in that, people know he's not afraid of anything.'

  5. Oh yes. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I laugh at car faces every time I'm high as heck.

  6. Re:The weak submissive value face over engineering by bitrex · · Score: 5, Funny

    I hope to someday be able to purchase an internationally-marketed mass produced automobile that speaks to my own sense of individuality. I will perhaps get a GMC Acadia, but with a towhook package, or a Volkswagen Golf with a turbocharged engine instead of normally-aspirated and an iPod dock. I will then most likely get a tribal tattoo. I'm young, tech-savy,cyber-edgy and stickin' it to society's traditional values!

  7. Re:My current car... by Gandalf_Greyhame · · Score: 2, Funny

    Fit a lawn mower in the boot too.

    and another lawn mower engine in the front

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    I am not stubborn. I am right!
  8. Re:Of course... by Yoozer · · Score: 5, Funny

    Which makes you wonder if the machines will exploit this sort of this thing when they take over, e.g. by making Terminators look non threatening.

    Hello Kitty says you have to come with her if you want to live.

  9. Re:Of course... by Chrisje · · Score: 3, Funny

    mature, arrogant and angry-looking

    I don't see how those three are masculine traits. Obviously the authors never picked a fight with my woman.