We asked Shiseido employees why we imagined the "ideal form" under the mask face: Asahi Shimbun GLOBE +

――I think that people's impressions are formed with various things.What kind of information does your face send?

The face is a source of various information, such as the impression, emotions, age and nationality of people.

Ecman and Fursen, a leader in facial expressions that divide the facial expression into a unit of basic movements and code and describe it, divided the "signal" in which the face transmits into four elements.Of these, the three of these are on the raw face of the "static signal" (face, the color of the eyes, etc.), the "quick signal" (expression, etc.), and the "slow signal" (such as aging and environmental wrinkles).It is the information you are.Assuming that there is another other factor, the technical signals they add later.

For example, it is a temporary define that is temporarily defined on the face, such as a hat, a hat, and makeup, which greatly contributes to the judgment of the person.The mask is exactly the technical signal itself.

――It's that many people can't let go of the mask, one of the items that affect the impression.

In the past, masks have played temporary roles for prevention and protection, such as preventing colds and preventing dust from entering.

However, now the corona evil has become a must -have item, and it has to be worn at all times.In March and April of 2020, when new colon virus infections began to expand in Japan, I think that the habit of wearing masks began with etiquette and duty to prevent infection and lower the risk of transmitting corona to others.As "added value" to reduce infection risk, functions such as dense and multiple mesh structures have been required.In the early spring, when the temperature was rising, the stuffiness and rough skin in the mask became a problem, and functions such as high breathability were further demanded.

From April to May, the mask was fashionable.Initially, many people were doing non -woven masks, but as if the former President Trump in the United States had a black mask, the fashionability and appearance were added.The meaning of the mask has been expanded, such as performing a matching mask to the baseball team.

As of last summer, when fashionability was increasing, I thought that the production of the mask would be even more expanded, but in the winter when the spread of infection was uneasy, the mask returned to functional focus.

■ Apply "ideal" to the hidden place

――How will your impression change when you wear a mask?

The mask covers a fairly large range of the face.Normally, it should be completely different from the impression that you feel with your face.When you meet a stranger who has never seen a real face, especially the impression of the person is different.So what are we looking at behind the mask at that time?

What I remembered at that time was the research I did before.In 1996, 25 years ago, it was a basic study with university teachers.Although it is not a mask itself, it is not a mask itself, but using the real face of 32 women in their 20s and a face photo of a smile, hiding the eyes, nose, and mouth, adding more makeup, and how the impression of the viewer is.32 female students from junior colleges answered whether they would change.

I was evaluated whether each photo is "beautiful" or "like" from "I don't think so at all" (0 points) to "I think so" (3 points), but it was an interesting result.rice field.Compared to when nothing was hidden, it was higher when there was a hidden part.Regarding the beauty that each person feels, hiding somewhere tends to be rated.It's not negative.The hidden parts seemed to be applied to imagine the ideal form.

――Is that if a part of your face is hidden by a mask, will you make your imagination strong?

I think there is too.Professor Hiroshi Harashima, a professor at the University of Tokyo, who is also the founder of the "Japanese Society", had previously talked about it, but when he felt "beautiful", the word "night, far away, under the shade".There is.In other words, it is better to hide a little more imagination.What we interpreted after the research was that we were evaluating the hidden places, not the deduction method, but by adding points.It means that you guessed from the elements that are not hidden, applying the optimal balance to make positive evaluations.

―― In another simple experiment, you seemed to hide some of your face by arranging photos of men.If you look at the picture, you can see that even if a part of the face is hidden, if you show a big smile, you are laughing.

Well, if you make a big smile, you can wrinkle the outer corner of the eye, you can see a big smile.However, if it is just a smile, I do not understand the expression a little.When communicating with a mask, I don't think it will be visually transmitted unless you feel like overreaction.We imagine where you can't see, but the amount of information you can see is more important.

――You hide your face even with your hair.The hairstyle that thickened the bangs was popular among young people, but the expression may be a bit difficult to see.

This photo was published by Shiseido last June.If you can only see a part of your face, such as hiding your eyebrows with your bangs, it will be difficult to understand your expression.Communication when masking is more necessary to imagine the entire face.

Even if you don't show all your eyebrows firmly, you can just see a little transparent.Show the existence and movement of the eyebrows.The eyebrows are so intense due to the expressions of sadness, anger, and joy.Because the contrast with the skin is high, the shape is easy to recognize.

Eyebrows and hairstyles are the "frame" of the face, and is a major element that determines the impression.If the mask is in a situation where the area of the face is not visible so far, I think it will be more important to create the personality with the makeup of the visible part, or to make communication smooth.There are times when you take a mask and see your mouth when you eat, so the balance is also important.Speaking of makeup, lipsticks and foundations that do not fit in the mask are required, but I feel that the same as the mask and the highest cosmetics are emphasized.

■ The desire to see the face and the sense of incomplete combustion

――In the first meeting, you only know the face that is wearing a mask.It is important to create impressions because it is difficult to convey "I am".

If you know it for a long time, there is no problem because you can understand the original face even if you are wearing a mask, but you may communicate with those who meet for the first time with masks online or in the office.In this case, the first impression is "mask face".When you actually meet the physical, some people have a completely different impression.

However, this area does not always wear a mask, and if you look at photos on another occasion, you will complement the memory formation of the face, so I think that the impression of the person will be complemented.

Conversely, I am worried that the number of unspecified many people who wear masks, that is, those who cannot identify their faces are increasing.As Dr. Harashima says, "Anticial face", I think that there is also the danger of responsibility and dispersion.For example, if you intentionally drop garbage on the road, if you wear a mask, the person's anonymity will increase.I'm also worried that it can be irresponsible because it is difficult to limit who you are.

―― Even if someone gets angry, if you hide your face with a mask, you will feel like you are as if you are a real face.

I think there are such things.A few years ago, the "Dodi Mask" became a hot topic, but wearing a mask on the face gives a sense of security.There is also a sense of protected by skin contact, and I can't read my expression.It is a guard hidden from a kind of others.Since it does not require the reaction of the expression, it will be a one -way communication.In other words, I think that the impact on each other's emotions decreases because they are passed through.

Overseas, some people took pictures of their faces, transferred the images below their nose into a cloth, and made a mask that looked like their face itself at first glance.I've seen the topic of a mask that displays the movement of the mouth using the LCD screen.After all humans want to see their faces.When you are building a positive relationship, there is a part where communication is promoted by looking at the face.

However, this is all, in a sense, from the side of a person who can wear a mask without any problems.On the other hand, some people say that they cannot use synthetic fiber because they cause rough skin.I don't know what it looks like, so I think that people are under pressure from the surroundings.If you have a hearing impairment, the information that reads words is gone, relying on the movement of the mouth.I tend to see it from just one direction, but I think it is necessary to proceed with consideration from the standpoint that it is difficult to make a mask and it is difficult.

――Is you and the other person wearing a mask, will we get used to it?

I think you are used to it.However, because there is a desire to see the face itself, I think that there is something like incomplete combustion somewhere, even though I get used to it.I think it's a situation where each other is not sure if my story really was transmitted to the other party.A mask is useful, but something from another perspective may come out.However, I don't think it will quickly spread to the general public, so it will go through the axis of functionality and directivity.

After all, when you look at the other party through the screen online, the amount of information is small.It's different from meeting in real life, so you'll try to make up for more language.There are some time lags, so there is also a passing of communication.

While the actual distance is far away, do you feel very close to the audio information coming in from earphones and speakers?It comes from a very close distance than when I was meeting.That may cause familiarity.I think there are both aspects.

―― We are now trying to know the other person by mobilizing various functions, such as voices and concentration.

In a sense, I think the brain is imposed greatly.If you want to do the same communication as usual, you have to complement various things.I think everyone is devising, such as pushing from the tone of the voice, choosing words and trying to say short.So, depending on the content of the story, it may be better to focus on voice than face information.

Five or six years ago, when I had a video meeting when I couldn't use digital so conveniently, I was happy to see my face.But I think that communication from here will return to some real, natural communication.What to choose.In some cases, it is better to come out in an online conference, or not.

■ It's not just the face that expresses yourself

――I thought it would be better to have a face.Recently, some people use the app to have an online meeting with a completely different face.I feel that my face is no longer needed when communicating.

I think there are such places.However, what do you want to communicate in your relationship with that person?If you want only the information you need at work in a short time, it is better to negative extra information.If you're a grandmother and grandchild, maybe extra information is more valuable.Because the little gestures of their grandchildren and the different contexts lead to richness.I guess it's been a time to think about communication and the meaning of the face through these things.

――However, what should we communicate with the mask when the mask was mast?

In short, do you still have objectivity and responsible for your face?The face is still seen.Whether you do a mask or not.I think it is necessary to adjust the face that is seen.People are pushing the figure on the back of the back, not the masked face.If you are not more conscious than ever, there is a risk that the transmission will be broken.

――It may have to improve yourself for the “Beautiful Beauty”, which has been able to compete with your face so far.

I think that the tone of the voice, the whole appearance, and the movement as a whole will lead to self -expression.The word "80 % of people look" is walking alone, but in the first place, the original research is "a mismatch" or "a mismatch of the voice is a mismatch".In the combination of, it was verified what was important when judging the most impression.

With an angry face saying, "I love you," and if you say laughing.In the experiment, the expression was the most heavy, and then the tone and language information of the voice were the last.In the current online communication, verbalization is essential, and I think that the specific gravity of the language is increasing, but the expression of the face and the tone of the voice when saying that is combined, making it a message transmitted to people.I think it's going to go.

Mr. Takano's literature: Takahiro Kirita, Mitsuo Endo, Tsuneyuki Abe, Ruriko Takano (1996).The effects of makeup and facial expressions on the charm of the face -from the viewpoint of evaluation items and rating strategy -Fregran