Slávka Démuthová - Böcker

The monograph presents psychological interpretations of the specific reactions of individuals within the perception of attractive human faces. It concentrates on exploring selected attributes of human face that increase its attractiveness. After introducing essential information on the specifics of facial perception and its brain correlates, the monograph presents findings on the effect of symmetry, averageness, proportions, sexually dimorphic features, personality characteristics, or the importance of specific parts of the face to its attractiveness. Based on the results of both foreign and own research, the authors formulate interpretations of why and how the identification and preference of examined characteristics have been developed and maintained by the evolution.

The monograph examines the issue of self-harm in adolescents, a high-risk behavior in which individuals intentionally cause themselves harm. Research in this area has produced significant disparities, with experts disagreeing on the definition and methods for identifying self-harm. The specifics of its occurrence, signs, risk and protective factors, and dynamics of development or prognosis are all unclear. The monograph aims to provide basic information on self-harm, its prevalence, and forms, as well as to clarify its formation and retention as a maladaptive coping strategy. Furthermore, it presents unique data from a multi-year research project on a group of adolescents and identifies potential areas for further research.