51
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Kordsmeyer TL, Hunt J, Puts DA, Ostner J, Penke L. The relative importance of intra- and intersexual selection on human male sexually dimorphic traits. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2018.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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52
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Sell A, Lukazsweski AW, Townsley M. Cues of upper body strength account for most of the variance in men's bodily attractiveness. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.1819. [PMID: 29237852 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolution equips sexually reproducing species with mate choice mechanisms that function to evaluate the reproductive consequences of mating with different individuals. Indeed, evolutionary psychologists have shown that women's mate choice mechanisms track many cues of men's genetic quality and ability to invest resources in the woman and her offspring. One variable that predicted both a man's genetic quality and his ability to invest is the man's formidability (i.e. fighting ability or resource holding power/potential). Modern women, therefore, should have mate choice mechanisms that respond to ancestral cues of a man's fighting ability. One crucial component of a man's ability to fight is his upper body strength. Here, we test how important physical strength is to men's bodily attractiveness. Three sets of photographs of men's bodies were shown to raters who estimated either their physical strength or their attractiveness. Estimates of physical strength determined over 70% of men's bodily attractiveness. Additional analyses showed that tallness and leanness were also favoured, and, along with estimates of physical strength, accounted for 80% of men's bodily attractiveness. Contrary to popular theories of men's physical attractiveness, there was no evidence of a nonlinear effect; the strongest men were the most attractive in all samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Sell
- School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Griffith University, Mount Gravatt, Queensland 4121, Australia
| | - Aaron W Lukazsweski
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Fullerton, CA 92834, USA
| | - Michael Townsley
- School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Griffith University, Mount Gravatt, Queensland 4121, Australia
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53
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Raine J, Pisanski K, Oleszkiewicz A, Simner J, Reby D. Human Listeners Can Accurately Judge Strength and Height Relative to Self from Aggressive Roars and Speech. iScience 2018; 4:273-280. [PMID: 30240746 PMCID: PMC6146593 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2018.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Revised: 04/02/2018] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Although animal vocalizations and human speech are known to communicate physical formidability, no previous study has examined whether human listeners can assess the strength or body size of vocalizers relative to their own, either from speech or from nonverbal vocalizations. Here, although men tended to underestimate women's formidability, and women to overestimate men's, listeners judged relative strength and height from aggressive roars and aggressive speech accurately. For example, when judging roars, male listeners accurately identified vocalizers who were substantially stronger than themselves in 88% of trials, and never as weaker. For male vocalizers only, roars functioned to exaggerate the expression of threat compared to aggressive speech, as men were rated as relatively stronger when producing roars. These results indicate that, like other mammals, the acoustic structure of human aggressive vocal signals (and in particular roars) may have been selected to communicate functional information relevant to listeners' survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Raine
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.
| | - Katarzyna Pisanski
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK; Institute of Psychology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Anna Oleszkiewicz
- Institute of Psychology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland; Taste and Smell Center, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Julia Simner
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - David Reby
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
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54
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Carter TL, Kushnick G. Male aggressiveness as intrasexual contest competition in a cross-cultural sample. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2497-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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55
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56
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Pazhoohi F, Silva C, Lamas J, Mouta S, Santos J, Arantes J. The effect of height and shoulder-to-hip ratio on interpersonal space in virtual environment. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2018; 83:1184-1193. [PMID: 29305653 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-017-0968-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 12/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has associated men's physical features such as height and Shoulder-to-Hip Ratio (SHR) with dominance. Proxemics literature has suggested that the interpersonal space (comfort distance) increases in threatening and uncomfortable situations and decreases in unthreatening and comfortable situations. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the effect of different heights and SHRs on comfortable interpersonal distance by systematic manipulation of virtual confederates bodily features. More specifically, participants determined their comfort distances from virtual male confederates with different heights and SHRs in a virtual environment. We hypothesized that a virtual confederate's height and SHR influences the perception of interpersonal dominance; and consequently interpersonal space increases for taller and broader confederates as a result of increased interpersonal dominance. Results showed that comfortable interpersonal distance was positively associated with height for male participants, but not for female participants. No effect was found for shoulder width, neither for male nor female participants. Results were discussed in terms of the importance of height as a signal of dominance and fighting ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farid Pazhoohi
- Department of Basic Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
| | - Carlos Silva
- Centre for Computer Graphics, Campus de Azurém, Guimarães, Portugal
- Department of Informatics, School of Engineering University of Minho, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - João Lamas
- Centre for Computer Graphics, Campus de Azurém, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Sandra Mouta
- Centre for Computer Graphics, Campus de Azurém, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Jorge Santos
- Department of Basic Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- Centre for Computer Graphics, Campus de Azurém, Guimarães, Portugal
- Center Algoritmi, University of Minho, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Joana Arantes
- Department of Basic Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
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57
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Dixson BJW, Lee AJ, Blake KR, Jasienska G, Marcinkowska UM. Women's preferences for men's beards show no relation to their ovarian cycle phase and sex hormone levels. Horm Behav 2018; 97:137-144. [PMID: 29129624 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Revised: 10/10/2017] [Accepted: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
According to the ovulatory shift hypothesis, women's mate preferences for male morphology indicative of competitive ability, social dominance, and/or underlying health are strongest at the peri-ovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle. However, recent meta-analyses are divided on the robustness of such effects and the validity of the often-used indirect estimates of fertility and ovulation has been called into question in methodological studies. In the current study, we test whether women's preferences for men's beardedness, a cue of male sexual maturity, androgenic development and social dominance, are stronger at the peri-ovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle compared to during the early follicular or the luteal phase. We also tested whether levels of estradiol, progesterone, and the estradiol to progesterone ratio at each phase were associated with facial hair preferences. Fifty-two heterosexual women completed a two-alternative forced choice preference test for clean-shaven and bearded male faces during the follicular, peri-ovulatory (validated by the surge in luteinizing hormone or the drop in estradiol levels) and luteal phases. Participants also provided for one entire menstrual cycle daily saliva samples for subsequent assaying of estradiol and progesterone. Results showed an overall preference for bearded over clean-shaven faces at each phase of the menstrual cycle. However, preferences for facial hair were not significantly different over the phases of menstrual cycle and were not significantly associated with levels of reproductive hormones. We conclude that women's preferences for men's beardedness may not be related to changes in their likelihood of conception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barnaby J W Dixson
- School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Anthony J Lee
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK
| | - Khandis R Blake
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Sydney, Australia
| | - Grazyna Jasienska
- Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
| | - Urszula M Marcinkowska
- Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
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58
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Smith KM, Olkhov YM, Puts DA, Apicella CL. Hadza Men With Lower Voice Pitch Have a Better Hunting Reputation. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2017; 15:1474704917740466. [PMID: 29179581 PMCID: PMC10481060 DOI: 10.1177/1474704917740466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research with hunter-gatherers has found that women perceive men with voices manipulated to be lower in pitch to be better hunters, and men perceive women with lower pitch to be better gatherers. Here, we test if actual voice pitch is associated with hunting and gathering reputations in men and women, respectively. We find that voice pitch does relate to foraging reputation in men, but not in women, with better hunters having a lower voice pitch. In addition, we find that the previously documented relationship between voice pitch and reproductive success no longer holds when controlling for hunting reputation, but hunting reputation remains a significant predictor of reproductive success when controlling for voice pitch. This raises the possibility that voice pitch is being selected for in hunter-gatherers because of the relationship between voice pitch and hunting reputation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - David A. Puts
- Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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59
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Zhang J, Reid SA. Aggression in young men high in threat potential increases after hearing low-pitched male voices: two tests of the retaliation-cost model. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2017.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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60
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Perceived differences in social status between speaker and listener affect the speaker's vocal characteristics. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0179407. [PMID: 28614413 PMCID: PMC5470693 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2016] [Accepted: 05/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-verbal behaviours, including voice characteristics during speech, are an important way to communicate social status. Research suggests that individuals can obtain high social status through dominance (using force and intimidation) or through prestige (by being knowledgeable and skilful). However, little is known regarding differences in the vocal behaviour of men and women in response to dominant and prestigious individuals. Here, we tested within-subject differences in vocal parameters of interviewees during simulated job interviews with dominant, prestigious, and neutral employers (targets), while responding to questions which were classified as introductory, personal, and interpersonal. We found that vocal modulations were apparent between responses to the neutral and high-status targets, with participants, especially those who perceived themselves as low in dominance, increasing fundamental frequency (F0) in response to the dominant and prestigious targets relative to the neutral target. Self-perceived prestige, however, was less related to contextual vocal modulations than self-perceived dominance. Finally, we found that differences in the context of the interview questions participants were asked to respond to (introductory, personal, interpersonal), also affected their vocal parameters, being more prominent in responses to personal and interpersonal questions. Overall, our results suggest that people adjust their vocal parameters according to the perceived social status of the listener as well as their own self-perceived social status.
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61
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Groyecka A, Pisanski K, Sorokowska A, Havlíček J, Karwowski M, Puts D, Roberts SC, Sorokowski P. Attractiveness Is Multimodal: Beauty Is Also in the Nose and Ear of the Beholder. Front Psychol 2017; 8:778. [PMID: 28572777 PMCID: PMC5436296 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Attractiveness plays a central role in human non-verbal communication and has been broadly examined in diverse subfields of contemporary psychology. Researchers have garnered compelling evidence in support of the evolutionary functions of physical attractiveness and its role in our daily lives, while at the same time, having largely ignored the significant contribution of non-visual modalities and the relationships among them. Acoustic and olfactory cues can, separately or in combination, strongly influence the perceived attractiveness of an individual and therefore attitudes and actions toward that person. Here, we discuss the relative importance of visual, auditory and olfactory traits in judgments of attractiveness, and review neural and behavioral studies that support the highly complex and multimodal nature of person perception. Further, we discuss three alternative evolutionary hypotheses aimed at explaining the function of multiple indices of attractiveness. In this review, we provide several lines of evidence supporting the importance of the voice, body odor, and facial and body appearance in the perception of attractiveness and mate preferences, and therefore the critical need to incorporate cross-modal perception and multisensory integration into future research on human physical attractiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata Groyecka
- Institute of Psychology, University of WroclawWroclaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Pisanski
- Institute of Psychology, University of WroclawWroclaw, Poland
- Mammal Vocal Communication and Cognition Research Group, School of Psychology, University of SussexSussex, United Kingdom
| | - Agnieszka Sorokowska
- Institute of Psychology, University of WroclawWroclaw, Poland
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, Technische Universität DresdenDresden, Germany
| | - Jan Havlíček
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles UniversityPrague, Czechia
| | | | - David Puts
- Department of Anthropology–Center for Brain, Behavior, and Cognition–Center for Human Evolution and Diversity, The Pennsylvania State University, University ParkPA, United States
| | - S. Craig Roberts
- Division of Psychology, University of StirlingStirling, United Kingdom
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62
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Han C, Kandrik M, Hahn AC, Fisher CI, Feinberg DR, Holzleitner IJ, DeBruine LM, Jones BC. Interrelationships Among Men’s Threat Potential, Facial Dominance, and Vocal Dominance. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2017; 15:1474704917697332. [DOI: 10.1177/1474704917697332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The benefits of minimizing the costs of engaging in violent conflict are thought to have shaped adaptations for the rapid assessment of others’ capacity to inflict physical harm. Although studies have suggested that men’s faces and voices both contain information about their threat potential, one recent study suggested that men’s faces are a more valid cue of their threat potential than their voices are. Consequently, the current study investigated the interrelationships among a composite measure of men’s actual threat potential (derived from the measures of their upper-body strength, height, and weight) and composite measures of these men’s perceived facial and vocal threat potential (derived from dominance, strength, and weight ratings of their faces and voices, respectively). Although men’s perceived facial and vocal threat potential were positively correlated, men’s actual threat potential was related to their perceived facial, but not vocal, threat potential. These results present new evidence that men’s faces may be a more valid cue of these aspects of threat potential than their voices are.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengyang Han
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
| | - Michal Kandrik
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
| | - Amanda C. Hahn
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA, USA
| | - Claire I. Fisher
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
| | - David R. Feinberg
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Iris J. Holzleitner
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
| | - Lisa M. DeBruine
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
| | - Benedict C. Jones
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
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63
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Valentova JV, Varella MAC, Bártová K, Štěrbová Z, Dixson BJW. Mate preferences and choices for facial and body hair in heterosexual women and homosexual men: influence of sex, population, homogamy, and imprinting-like effect. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2016.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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64
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Galbarczyk A, Ziomkiewicz A. Tattooed men: Healthy bad boys and good-looking competitors. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2016.10.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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65
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Valentova JV, Varella MAC, Havlíček J, Kleisner K. Positive association between vocal and facial attractiveness in women but not in men: A cross-cultural study. Behav Processes 2016; 135:95-100. [PMID: 27986472 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2016.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2016] [Revised: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 12/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Various species use multiple sensory modalities in the communication processes. In humans, female facial appearance and vocal display are correlated and it has been suggested that they serve as redundant markers indicating the bearer's reproductive potential and/or residual fertility. In men, evidence for redundancy of facial and vocal attractiveness is ambiguous. We tested the redundancy/multiple signals hypothesis by correlating perceived facial and vocal attractiveness in men and women from two different populations, Brazil and the Czech Republic. We also investigated whether facial and vocal attractiveness are linked to facial morphology. Standardized facial pictures and vocal samples of 86 women (47 from Brazil) and 81 men (41 from Brazil), aged 18-35, were rated for attractiveness by opposite-sex raters. Facial and vocal attractiveness were found to positively correlate in women but not in men. We further applied geometric morphometrics and regressed facial shape coordinates on facial and vocal attractiveness ratings. In women, facial shape was linked to their facial attractiveness but there was no association between facial shape and vocal attractiveness. In men, none of these associations was significant. Having shown that women with more attractive faces possess also more attractive voices, we thus only partly supported the redundant signal hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jan Havlíček
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Karel Kleisner
- Department of Philosophy and History of Science, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
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66
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Dixson BJW, Sulikowski D, Gouda-Vossos A, Rantala MJ, Brooks RC. The masculinity paradox: facial masculinity and beardedness interact to determine women's ratings of men's facial attractiveness. J Evol Biol 2016; 29:2311-2320. [PMID: 27488414 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Revised: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 07/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In many species, male secondary sexual traits have evolved via female choice as they confer indirect (i.e. genetic) benefits or direct benefits such as enhanced fertility or survival. In humans, the role of men's characteristically masculine androgen-dependent facial traits in determining men's attractiveness has presented an enduring paradox in studies of human mate preferences. Male-typical facial features such as a pronounced brow ridge and a more robust jawline may signal underlying health, whereas beards may signal men's age and masculine social dominance. However, masculine faces are judged as more attractive for short-term relationships over less masculine faces, whereas beards are judged as more attractive than clean-shaven faces for long-term relationships. Why such divergent effects occur between preferences for two sexually dimorphic traits remains unresolved. In this study, we used computer graphic manipulation to morph male faces varying in facial hair from clean-shaven, light stubble, heavy stubble and full beards to appear more (+25% and +50%) or less (-25% and -50%) masculine. Women (N = 8520) were assigned to treatments wherein they rated these stimuli for physical attractiveness in general, for a short-term liaison or a long-term relationship. Results showed a significant interaction between beardedness and masculinity on attractiveness ratings. Masculinized and, to an even greater extent, feminized faces were less attractive than unmanipulated faces when all were clean-shaven, and stubble and beards dampened the polarizing effects of extreme masculinity and femininity. Relationship context also had effects on ratings, with facial hair enhancing long-term, and not short-term, attractiveness. Effects of facial masculinization appear to have been due to small differences in the relative attractiveness of each masculinity level under the three treatment conditions and not to any change in the order of their attractiveness. Our findings suggest that beardedness may be attractive when judging long-term relationships as a signal of intrasexual formidability and the potential to provide direct benefits to females. More generally, our results hint at a divergence of signalling function, which may result in a subtle trade-off in women's preferences, for two highly sexually dimorphic androgen-dependent facial traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- B J W Dixson
- School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.
| | - D Sulikowski
- School of Psychology, Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, NSW, Australia
| | - A Gouda-Vossos
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Kensington, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - M J Rantala
- Turku Brain and Mind Center, Section of Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - R C Brooks
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Kensington, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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67
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Roney JR. Theoretical frameworks for human behavioral endocrinology. Horm Behav 2016; 84:97-110. [PMID: 27320181 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2015] [Revised: 06/05/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
How can we best discover the ultimate, evolved functions of endocrine signals within the field of human behavioral endocrinology? Two related premises will guide my proposed answer. First, hormones typically have multiple, simultaneous effects distributed throughout the brain and body, such that in an abstract sense their prototypical function is the coordination of diverse outcomes. Second, coordinated output effects are often evolved, functional responses to specific eliciting conditions that cause increases or decreases in the relevant hormones. If we accept these premises, then a natural way to study hormones is to hypothesize and test how multiple eliciting conditions are mapped into coordinated output effects via hormonal signals. I will call these input-output mappings "theoretical frameworks." As examples, partial theoretical frameworks for gonadal hormones will be proposed, focusing on the signaling roles of testosterone in men and on estradiol and progesterone in women. Recent research on oxytocin in humans will also be considered as an example in which application of the theoretical framework approach could be especially helpful in making functional sense of the diverse array of findings associated with this hormone. The theoretical framework approach is not especially common in the current literature, with many theories having eschewed explicit consideration of input-output mappings in favor of parsimony-based arguments that attempt to find the one main thing that a hormone does with respect to psychology or behavior. I will argue that these parsimony-based models have many shortcomings, and conclude that the construction and testing of theoretical frameworks provides a better means of discovering the evolved functions of human endocrine signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- James R Roney
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, United States.
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68
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Dixson BJW, Rantala MJ. The Role of Facial and Body Hair Distribution in Women's Judgments of Men's Sexual Attractiveness. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2016; 45:877-89. [PMID: 26292838 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-015-0588-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2014] [Revised: 01/27/2015] [Accepted: 04/18/2015] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Facial and body hair are some of the most visually conspicuous and sexually dimorphic of all men's secondary sexual traits. Both are androgen dependent, requiring the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone via the enzyme 5α reductase 2 for their expression. While previous studies on the attractiveness of facial and body hair are equivocal, none have accounted as to how natural variation in their distribution may influence male sexual attractiveness. In the present study, we quantified men's facial and body hair distribution as either very light, light, medium, or heavy using natural photographs. We also tested whether women's fertility influenced their preferences for beards and body hair by comparing preferences among heterosexual women grouped according their fertility (high fertility, low fertility, and contraceptive use). Results showed that men with more evenly and continuously distributed facial hair from the lower jaw connecting to the mustache and covering the cheeks were judged as more sexually attractive than individuals with more patchy facial hair. Men with body hair were less attractive than when clean shaven, with the exception of images depicting some hair around the areolae, pectoral region, and the sternum that were significantly more attractive than clean-shaven bodies. However, there was no effect of fertility on women's preferences for men's beard or body hair distribution. These results suggest that the distribution of facial and body hair influences male attractiveness to women, possibly as an indication of masculine development and the synthesis of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone via 5α reductase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barnaby J W Dixson
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Markus J Rantala
- Turku Brain and Mind Center, Section of Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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69
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Oldmeadow JA, Dixson BJ. The Association Between Men's Sexist Attitudes and Facial Hair. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2016; 45:891-9. [PMID: 26510427 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-015-0637-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2014] [Revised: 06/17/2015] [Accepted: 06/28/2015] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Facial hair, like many masculine secondary sexual traits, plays a significant role in perceptions of an array of sociosexual traits in men. While there is consensus that beards enhance perceptions of masculinity, age, social dominance, and aggressiveness, the perceived attractiveness of facial hair varies greatly across women. Given the ease with which facial hair can be groomed and removed entirely, why should some men retain beards and others choose to remove them? We hypothesized that men with relatively sexist attitudes would be more likely to allow their facial hair to grow than men with less sexist attitudes. Men from the USA (n = 223) and India (n = 309) completed an online survey measuring demographic variables, ambivalent sexism, and facial hair status. After controlling for demographic variables, men with facial hair were significantly higher in hostile sexism than clean-shaven men; hostile sexism was a significant predictor of facial hair status over and above demographic variables; and facial hair was more frequent among ambivalent and hostile sexists than among benevolent and non-sexists. It is suggested that sexist men choose to grow facial hair because it maximizes sexual dimorphism and augments perceived masculinity and dominance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian A Oldmeadow
- School of Psychological Science, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, 3122, Australia.
| | - Barnaby J Dixson
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
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Cowan ML, Watkins CD, Fraccaro PJ, Feinberg DR, Little AC. It’s the way he tells them (and who is listening): men’s dominance is positively correlated with their preference for jokes told by dominant-sounding men. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2015.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Sexual Conflict and Gender Gap Effects: Associations between Social Context and Sex on Rated Attractiveness and Economic Status. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0146269. [PMID: 26731414 PMCID: PMC4701490 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Human mate choice research often concerns sex differences in the importance of traits such as physical attractiveness and social status. A growing number of studies indicate that cues to social context, including other people who appear in stimulus photographs, can alter that individual's attractiveness. Fewer studies, however, consider judgements of traits other than physical attractiveness, such as wealth. Here we manipulate the presence/absence of other people in photographs of target models, and test the effects on judgments of both attractiveness and earnings (a proxy for status). Participants (N = 2044) rated either male or female models for either physical attractiveness or social/economic status when presented alone, with same sex others or with opposite sex others. We collectively refer to this manipulation as 'social context'. Male and female models received similar responses for physical attractiveness, but social context affected ratings of status differently for women and men. Males presented alongside other men received the highest status ratings while females presented alone were given the highest status ratings. Further, the status of females presented alongside a male was constrained by the rated status of that male. Our results suggests that high status may not directly lead to high attractiveness in men, but that status is more readily attributed to men than to women. This divide in status between the sexes is very clear when men and women are presented together, possibly reflecting one underlying mechanism of the modern day gender gap and sexist attitudes to women's economic participation. This adds complexity to our understanding of the relationship between attractiveness, status, and sex in the light of parental investment theory, sexual conflict and economic theory.
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Kasumovic MM, Blake K, Dixson BJ, Denson TF. Why do people play violent video games? Demographic, status-related, and mating-related correlates in men and women. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2015.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Saxton TK, Mackey LL, McCarty K, Neave N. A lover or a fighter? Opposing sexual selection pressures on men's vocal pitch and facial hair. Behav Ecol 2015; 27:512-519. [PMID: 27004013 PMCID: PMC4797380 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2015] [Revised: 09/11/2015] [Accepted: 09/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Men’s optimum masculinity depends on whether they want to attract partners or compete with rivals. We found that men’s voice pitch was most attractive around 1.5 standard deviations lower than average, whereas facial hair growth did not consistently affect attractiveness. In contrast, men were perceived ever more dominant with lower voices and more facial hair. Sexual selection consists of both attracting mates and competing against rivals, but here selection pressures might oppose each other somewhat. The traditional assumption within the research literature on human sexually dimorphic traits has been that many sex differences have arisen from intersexual selection. More recently, however, there has been a shift toward the idea that many male features, including male lower-pitched voices and male beard growth, might have arisen predominantly through intrasexual selection: that is, to serve the purpose of male–male competition instead of mate attraction. In this study, using a unique set of video stimuli, we measured people’s perceptions of the dominance and attractiveness of men who differ both in terms of voice pitch (4 levels from lower to higher pitched) and beard growth (4 levels from clean shaven to a month’s hair growth). We found a nonlinear relationship between lower pitch and increased attractiveness; men’s vocal attractiveness peaked at around 96 Hz. Beard growth had equivocal effects on attractiveness judgments. In contrast, perceptions of men’s dominance simply increased with increasing masculinity (i.e., with lower-pitched voices and greater beard growth). Together, these results suggest that the optimal level of physical masculinity might differ depending on whether the outcome is social dominance or mate attraction. These dual selection pressures might maintain some of the documented variability in male physical and behavioral masculinity that we see today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamsin K Saxton
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University , Northumberland Building, Ellison Place, Newcastle NE1 8ST , UK
| | - Lauren L Mackey
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University , Northumberland Building, Ellison Place, Newcastle NE1 8ST , UK
| | - Kristofor McCarty
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University , Northumberland Building, Ellison Place, Newcastle NE1 8ST , UK
| | - Nick Neave
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University , Northumberland Building, Ellison Place, Newcastle NE1 8ST , UK
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The implicit rules of combat. HUMAN NATURE-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE 2015; 25:496-516. [PMID: 25281193 DOI: 10.1007/s12110-014-9214-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Conspecific violence has been pervasive throughout evolutionary history. The current research tested the hypotheses that individuals implicitly categorize combative contexts (i.e., play fighting, status contests, warfare, and anti-exploitative violence) and use the associated contextual information to guide expectations of combative tactics. Using U.S. and non-U.S. samples, Study 1 demonstrated consistent classification of combative contexts from scenarios for which little information was given and predictable shifts in the acceptability of combative tactics across contexts. Whereas severe tactics (e.g., eye-gouging) were acceptable in warfare and anti-exploitative violence, they were unacceptable in status contests and play fights. These results suggest the existence of implicit rules governing the contexts of combat. In Study 2, we explored the reputational consequences of violating these implicit rules. Results suggest that rule violators (e.g., those who use severe tactics in a status contest) are given less respect. These are the first studies to implicate specialized mechanisms for aggression that use contextual cues of violence to guide expectations and behavior.
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Doll LM, Cárdenas RA, Burriss RP, Puts DA. Sexual Selection and Life History: Earlier Recalled Puberty Predicts Men’s Phenotypic Masculinization. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-015-0031-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Kasumovic MM, Kuznekoff JH. Insights into Sexism: Male Status and Performance Moderates Female-Directed Hostile and Amicable Behaviour. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0131613. [PMID: 26176699 PMCID: PMC4503401 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0131613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2015] [Accepted: 06/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Gender inequality and sexist behaviour is prevalent in almost all workplaces and rampant in online environments. Although there is much research dedicated to understanding sexist behaviour, we have almost no insight into what triggers this behaviour and the individuals that initiate it. Although social constructionist theory argues that sexism is a response towards women entering a male dominated arena, this perspective doesn’t explain why only a subset of males behave in this way. We argue that a clearer understanding of sexist behaviour can be gained through an evolutionary perspective that considers evolved differences in intra-sexual competition. We hypothesised that female-initiated disruption of a male hierarchy incites hostile behaviour from poor performing males who stand to lose the most status. To test this hypothesis, we used an online first-person shooter video game that removes signals of dominance but provides information on gender, individual performance, and skill. We show that lower-skilled players were more hostile towards a female-voiced teammate, especially when performing poorly. In contrast, lower-skilled players behaved submissively towards a male-voiced player in the identical scenario. This difference in gender-directed behaviour became more extreme with poorer focal-player performance. We suggest that low-status males increase female-directed hostility to minimize the loss of status as a consequence of hierarchical reconfiguration resulting from the entrance of a woman into the competitive arena. Higher-skilled players, in contrast, were more positive towards a female relative to a male teammate. As higher-skilled players have less to fear from hierarchical reorganization, we argue that these males behave more positively in an attempt to support and garner a female player’s attention. Our results provide the clearest picture of inter-sexual competition to date, highlighting the importance of considering an evolutionary perspective when exploring the factors that affect male hostility towards women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael M. Kasumovic
- Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Jeffrey H. Kuznekoff
- Department of Integrative Studies, Miami University Middletown, 4200 N. University Blvd., Middletown, OH, 45042-3497, United States of America
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Sela Y, Weekes-Shackelford VA, Shackelford TK, Pham MN. Female copulatory orgasm and male partner’s attractiveness to his partner and other women. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2015.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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81
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Puts DA, Pope LE, Hill AK, Cárdenas RA, Welling LLM, Wheatley JR, Marc Breedlove S. Fulfilling desire: evidence for negative feedback between men's testosterone, sociosexual psychology, and sexual partner number. Horm Behav 2015; 70:14-21. [PMID: 25644313 PMCID: PMC4409524 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2014] [Revised: 01/21/2015] [Accepted: 01/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Across human societies and many nonhuman animals, males have greater interest in uncommitted sex (more unrestricted sociosexuality) than do females. Testosterone shows positive associations with male-typical sociosexual behavior in nonhuman animals. Yet, it remains unclear whether the human sex difference in sociosexual psychology (attitudes and desires) is mediated by testosterone, whether any relationships between testosterone and sociosexuality differ between men and women, and what the nature of these possible relationships might be. In studies to resolve these questions, we examined relationships between salivary testosterone concentrations and sociosexual psychology and behavior in men and women. We measured testosterone in all men in our sample, but only in those women taking oral contraception (OC-using women) in order to reduce the influence of ovulatory cycle variation in ovarian hormone production. We found that OC-using women did not differ from normally-ovulating women in sociosexual psychology or behavior, but that circulating testosterone mediated the sex difference in human sociosexuality and predicted sociosexual psychology in men but not OC-using women. Moreover, when sociosexual psychology was controlled, men's sociosexual behavior (number of sexual partners) was negatively related to testosterone, suggesting that testosterone drives sociosexual psychology in men and is inhibited when those desires are fulfilled. This more complex relationship between androgens and male sexuality may reconcile some conflicting prior reports.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Puts
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Center for Behavior, Brain, and Cognition, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
| | - Lauramarie E Pope
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Alexander K Hill
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Rodrigo A Cárdenas
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Lisa L M Welling
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - John R Wheatley
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - S Marc Breedlove
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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Antfolk J, Salo B, Alanko K, Bergen E, Corander J, Sandnabba NK, Santtila P. Women's and men's sexual preferences and activities with respect to the partner's age: evidence for female choice. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2014.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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Trémolière B, Kaminski G, Bonnefon JF. Intrasexual Competition Shapes Men’s Anti-Utilitarian Moral Decisions. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s40806-014-0003-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Body height affects the strength of immune response in young men, but not young women. Sci Rep 2014; 4:6223. [PMID: 25164474 PMCID: PMC5385821 DOI: 10.1038/srep06223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2014] [Accepted: 08/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Body height and other body attributes of humans may be associated with a diverse range of social outcomes such as attractiveness to potential mates. Despite evidence that each parameter plays a role in mate choice, we have little understanding of the relative role of each, and relationships between indices of physical appearance and general health. In this study we tested relationships between immune function and body height of young men and women. In men, we report a non-linear relationship between antibody response to a hepatitis-B vaccine and body height, with a positive relationship up to a height of 185 cm, but an inverse relationship in taller men. We did not find any significant relationship between body height and immune function in women. Our results demonstrate the potential of vaccination research to reveal costly traits that govern evolution of mate choice in humans and the importance of trade-offs among these traits.
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Varella MAC, Valentova JV, Pereira KJ, Bussab VSR. Promiscuity is related to masculine and feminine body traits in both men and women: evidence from Brazilian and Czech samples. Behav Processes 2014; 109 Pt A:34-9. [PMID: 25093932 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2014.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2014] [Revised: 07/18/2014] [Accepted: 07/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
One of the possible explanations for human within-sex variation in promiscuity stems from conditional strategies dependent on the level of body sex-dimorphism. There is some evidence that masculine men and feminine women are more promiscuous than their sex-atypical counterparts, although mixed results persist. Moreover, another line of evidence shows that more promiscuous women are rather sex-atypical. We tested whether diverse sex-dimorphic body measures (2D:4D, WHR/WSR, handgrip strength, and height and weight) influence sociosexual desires, attitudes, promiscuous behavior, and age of first intercourse in a sex-typical or sex-atypical direction. Participants were 185 young adults, 51 men and 54 women from Brazil, and 40 men and 40 women from the Czech Republic. In men stronger handgrip and more feminine 2D:4D predicted higher sociosexual behaviors, desires, and lower age of the first sexual intercourse. While in women, sociosexual desires were predicted by lower handgrip strength and more feminine 2D:4D. It thus seems that it is rather a mixture of masculine and feminine traits in men, and feminine traits in women that increase their sociosexuality. Masculine traits (height) predicting female promiscuous behavior were specific for only one population. In conclusion, a mosaic combination of sex-typical but also sex-atypical independent body traits can lead to higher promiscuity, particularly in men. Limitations, implications, and future directions for research are considered. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Neotropical Behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Antonio Correa Varella
- Department of Basic Psychological Processes, Institute of Psychology, University of Brasilia, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, ICC Sul, Sala AT 022/4, CEP 70.910-900 Brasília, DF, Brazil; Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Mello Moraes n°1721, CEP 05508-030, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Jaroslava Varella Valentova
- Center for Theoretical Study, Charles University in Prague and The Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Jilska 1, 110 00 Prague 1, Czech Republic.
| | - Kamila Janaina Pereira
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Mello Moraes n°1721, CEP 05508-030, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Vera Silvia Raad Bussab
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Mello Moraes n°1721, CEP 05508-030, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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Lukaszewski AW, Larson CM, Gildersleeve KA, Roney JR, Haselton MG. Condition-dependent calibration of men’s uncommitted mating orientation: evidence from multiple samples. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2014.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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87
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Carrier DR, Morgan MH. Protective buttressing of the hominin face. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2014; 90:330-46. [PMID: 24909544 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2013] [Revised: 04/10/2014] [Accepted: 04/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
When humans fight hand-to-hand the face is usually the primary target and the bones that suffer the highest rates of fracture are the parts of the skull that exhibit the greatest increase in robusticity during the evolution of basal hominins. These bones are also the most sexually dimorphic parts of the skull in both australopiths and humans. In this review, we suggest that many of the facial features that characterize early hominins evolved to protect the face from injury during fighting with fists. Specifically, the trend towards a more orthognathic face; the bunodont form and expansion of the postcanine teeth; the increased robusticity of the orbit; the increased robusticity of the masticatory system, including the mandibular corpus and condyle, zygoma, and anterior pillars of the maxilla; and the enlarged jaw adductor musculature are traits that may represent protective buttressing of the face. If the protective buttressing hypothesis is correct, the primary differences in the face of robust versus gracile australopiths may be more a function of differences in mating system than differences in diet as is generally assumed. In this scenario, the evolution of reduced facial robusticity in Homo is associated with the evolution of reduced strength of the upper body and, therefore, with reduced striking power. The protective buttressing hypothesis provides a functional explanation for the puzzling observation that although humans do not fight by biting our species exhibits pronounced sexual dimorphism in the strength and power of the jaw and neck musculature. The protective buttressing hypothesis is also consistent with observations that modern humans can accurately assess a male's strength and fighting ability from facial shape and voice quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- David R Carrier
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, 257 S 1400 E, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, U.S.A
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How Well Do Men’s Faces and Voices Index Mate Quality and Dominance? HUMAN NATURE-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE 2014; 25:200-12. [DOI: 10.1007/s12110-014-9194-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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89
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Valentine KA, Li NP, Penke L, Perrett DI. Judging a man by the width of his face: the role of facial ratios and dominance in mate choice at speed-dating events. Psychol Sci 2014; 25:806-11. [PMID: 24458269 DOI: 10.1177/0956797613511823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research has shown that men with higher facial width-to-height ratios (fWHRs) have higher testosterone and are more aggressive, more powerful, and more financially successful. We tested whether they are also more attractive to women in the ecologically valid mating context of speed dating. Men's fWHR was positively associated with their perceived dominance, likelihood of being chosen for a second date, and attractiveness to women for short-term, but not long-term, relationships. Perceived dominance (by itself and through physical attractiveness) mediated the relationship between fWHR and attractiveness to women for short-term relationships. Furthermore, men's perceptions of their own dominance showed patterns of association with mating desirability similar to those of fWHR. These results support the idea that fWHR is a physical marker of dominance. This is the first study to show that male dominance and higher fWHRs are attractive to women for short-term relationships in a controlled and interactive situation that could actually lead to mating and dating.
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Puts DA, Pope LE. Moderators, mates, and matchmakers: Effects of oral contraceptives on sexual desire may also depend on partners' behavior and the role of female choice. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2013; 42:1379-1380. [PMID: 23903372 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-013-0165-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- David A Puts
- Department of Anthropology, Center for Behavior, Brain, and Cognition, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA,
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