The claim that the study supports the notion that "symmetry doesn't matter" in facial attractiveness fundamentally misrepresents its conclusions. On the contrary, the research by Zhang et al. explicitly demonstrates that symmetry does matter, but its effect is mediated by perceived normality: "perceived normality acted as a mediator between symmetry and facial attractiveness" (Zhang et al. 8). The study identifies a dual pathway through which symmetry operates: (1) a negative path where symmetry "reduced facial attractiveness by decreasing perceived normality," and (2) a positive path where symmetry "increased facial attractiveness by increasing the perceived symmetry and then improving perceived normality" (Zhang et al. 8). Far from dismissing symmetry's relevance, the authors resolve apparent contradictions in prior literature by showing that symmetry's influence is context-dependent and filtered through normality judgments, concluding that "future studies on symmetry and facial attractiveness should consider the mediating role of normality" (Zhang et al. 8). Thus, the study reframes—but does not negate—symmetry's importance in attractiveness perceptions.