A student at the University of Pennsylvania, my alma mater and employer, has been working on a fascinating study on self perception using Second Life avatars. In the study, she takes mug shots of various subjects: a front shot, as well as a side shot. She then asks the subject to create an avatar to look like themselves in the picture. For a differing perspective, she then also asks a male and female observer to create avatars based on the picture.
In the survey, you are asked questions about who created each avatar, and accuracy levels. You can help by taking the survey here:
Survey: Face Perception
It will take about half an hour. I took and and found it fascinating. Please note, that subjects were only afforded the Second Life slider controls, and were not given options for things like prim hair or attachments. This kept the study well controlled and balanced, and I must admit, I chuckled once or twice when remembering that was how we all looked back when SL launched in 2003!