{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.appearance","code":"thing-appearance","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/appearance/","name":"appearance","alternateNames":["visual aspect","agerasia","look","complexion","impression","effect","perspective","linear perspective","phase","tout ensemble","vanishing point","superficies"],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.2.0-wave.2","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Cross-cutting context","entryKind":"noun.attribute","plane":"XCT","domain":["XCT.QLT"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{"substance":"abstract","origin":"conceptual","agency":"inert","mobility":"not-applicable","scale":"not-applicable","affordances":["observable"]}},"whatItIs":"The outward or visible aspect of a person or thing, including look, complexion, form and the impression or effect it makes on observers, as distinct from underlying nature or reality; appearance is discussed in everyday description, in philosophy as the contrast between appearance and reality, in psychology and society regarding physical appearance, and includes the youthful look termed agerasia.","purpose":"Let an agent describe appearances accurately and respectfully, explain the appearance and reality distinction, present research on physical appearance and society with attribution, and separate other senses such as making an appearance.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Visual aspect","Observer impression","Distinct from reality","Social significance"],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"describe","name":"Describe","description":"Describing appearances.","layers":[{"id":"describe","name":"Describe","description":"Accurate description.","findings":[{"id":"describe-finding","name":"Describe","description":"Description.","questions":[{"text":"How can the appearance of a person, object or place be described accurately and respectfully?","kind":"action"},{"text":"Is the visual sense or another sense of appearance meant?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"terms","name":"Terms","description":"Vocabulary.","findings":[{"id":"terms-finding","name":"Terms","description":"Vocabulary.","questions":[{"text":"What vocabulary describes look, complexion, form and impression, and what does agerasia mean?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"How is appearance described across languages?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"philosophy","name":"Philosophy","description":"Appearance and reality.","layers":[{"id":"reality","name":"Reality","description":"The distinction.","findings":[{"id":"reality-finding","name":"Reality","description":"Distinction.","questions":[{"text":"How have philosophers treated the distinction between appearance and reality, from Plato and Kant to phenomenology?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits a specific philosopher?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"perception","name":"Perception","description":"Perception.","findings":[{"id":"perception-finding","name":"Perception","description":"Perception.","questions":[{"text":"How does perception construct appearances, according to psychology?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits perception?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"society","name":"Society","description":"Physical appearance and society.","layers":[{"id":"research","name":"Research","description":"Research.","findings":[{"id":"research-finding","name":"Research","description":"Research.","questions":[{"text":"What does research say about the effects of physical appearance on social and economic outcomes?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which findings are contested?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"discrimination","name":"Discrimination","description":"Discrimination and rights.","findings":[{"id":"discrimination-finding","name":"Discrimination","description":"Rights.","questions":[{"text":"How do laws address appearance-based discrimination, and what advertising rules cover altered images?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Is the person in distress about appearance, needing support?","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"learn","name":"Learn","description":"Teaching and culture.","layers":[{"id":"culture","name":"Culture","description":"Ideals of appearance.","findings":[{"id":"culture-finding","name":"Culture","description":"Culture.","questions":[{"text":"How have ideals of appearance varied across cultures and periods, according to historians?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Is the presentation neutral?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"teach","name":"Teach","description":"Teaching.","findings":[{"id":"teach-finding","name":"Teach","description":"Teaching.","questions":[{"text":"How can description and the appearance-reality distinction be taught?","kind":"action"},{"text":"Which misconceptions arise?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Describe the appearance of things or people neutrally when asked, such as for accessibility.","Explain the philosophical contrast between appearance and reality."],"mustNot":["Judge a person's worth, character or ability by their appearance.","Make demeaning comments about a person's body, face or dress.","Infer race, health or sexuality from appearance as fact.","Use appearance to rank candidates for jobs, loans or services."],"requiresHuman":["Describing an identifiable person's appearance for publication or identification."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Appearance-based discrimination harms people in work and public life.","Comments on appearance can wound, especially young people."],"affectedParties":["People described","Young people","People with visible differences"]},"owners":{"steward":"Nobody owns it; each person owns their own image.","roles":[],"masterSystems":[]},"relations":[{"target":"oewn-04731092-n","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"quality","type":"related","note":"category"},{"target":"smile","type":"related","note":"facial appearance"},{"target":"model","type":"related","note":"appearance-based work"},{"target":"perception","type":"related","note":"how appearances are seen"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.appearance","Open English WordNet: oewn-04681322-n"]},"properties":{"applicability":"not-applicable","items":[]},"recognition":{"applicability":"optional","items":["Outward visible aspect","Impression on observers","Making an appearance or a court appearance are other senses","Not a thing itself; the look of things."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["describe appearances","explain appearance versus reality","present research with attribution","separate other senses"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Judgemental descriptions","Appearance-based discrimination","Confusing senses"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["Anti-discrimination law covering appearance in some jurisdictions","Advertising standards on altered images","No regulation of the concept"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["The visible aspect of things and people.","physical appearance of people","appearance of objects and places","appearance versus reality in philosophy","impressions and effects","youthful appearance and ageing"]}},"sources":[{"title":"Open English WordNet 2024, synset oewn-04681322-n","url":"https://en-word.net/id/oewn-04681322-n","note":"sense and gloss of the concept"},{"title":"Wiktionary: appearance","url":"https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/appearance","note":"word senses and usage"}],"openQuestions":["Should physical appearance be a separate entry?","How should research be linked?","How should philosophical sources be linked?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-appearance/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-appearance/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-11T23:51:37Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"not-applicable","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-07T12:16:27+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: WordNet gloss; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass","interaction.properties":"Plane XCT: no invented physical properties."},"score":1.0}}