1
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Walther A, Möllmann A, Reppenhagen S, Ehlert U, Watzke B, Drüge M, Schneeberger M, Eggenberger L. Men's use of cosmetic surgery and the role of traditional masculinity ideologies. DISCOVER PSYCHOLOGY 2024; 4:113. [PMID: 39247911 PMCID: PMC11379790 DOI: 10.1007/s44202-024-00230-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/10/2024]
Abstract
In western countries, men are increasingly using cosmetic surgery. However, despite this trend, there remains a dearth of information on the prevalence, acceptance, and motivations behind men's use of cosmetic surgery. Furthermore, the potential association between men's use of cosmetic surgery and in particular male-specific cosmetic surgery procedures such as head hair transplant or penis enlargement and traditional masculinity ideologies (TMI) has not been investigated so far. For this purpose, a cross-sectional anonymous online survey was conducted among 241 self-identifying men aged 18 years or older from the German-speaking part of Europe. Participants responded to questions about cosmetic surgery use and experiences, and completed the Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory-Short Form (CMNI-SF) and the Male Role Norms Inventory-Short Form (MRNI-SF) questionnaires to assess conformity with and endorsement of TMI. Of the 241 men investigated, 47 (19.5%) had undergone cosmetic surgery. The most common types of cosmetic surgeries reported were wrinkle treatment, eyelid correction, and head-hair transplant. Penis enlargement procedures were reported by three (6.4%) of the 47 men who had undergone cosmetic surgery. The main reasons for undergoing surgery were to feel better (72.3%) and look better (55.3%), while to increase sexual success (17.0%) and to increase manliness (14.9%) were also reported. Logistic regression models showed that higher conformity to TMI (CMNI-SF) was associated with higher odds of having undergone cosmetic surgery. The results highlight the overall increase in men's cosmetic surgery use and its specific characteristics. The significant positive association between conformity to TMI and men's use of cosmetic surgery suggests that men increasingly use cosmetic surgery as a means to assert power, success, dominance, and sexual success. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s44202-024-00230-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Walther
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Binzmühlestrasse 14, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - A Möllmann
- Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology and Psychotherapy, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - S Reppenhagen
- Psychology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - U Ehlert
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Binzmühlestrasse 14, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - B Watzke
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - M Drüge
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - M Schneeberger
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Binzmühlestrasse 14, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - L Eggenberger
- Experimental Pharmacopsychology and Psychological Addiction Research, Department of Adult Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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2
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Watkins CD. Mate assessment based on physical characteristics: a review and reflection. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024. [PMID: 39175167 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
Mate choice, and sex differences in romantic behaviours, represented one of the first major applications of evolutionary biology to human behaviour. This paper reviews Darwinian approaches to heterosexual mate assessment based on physical characteristics, placing the literature in its historical context (1871-1979), before turning (predominantly) to psychological research on attractiveness judgements based on physical characteristics. Attractiveness is consistently inferred across multiple modalities, with biological theories explaining why we differentiate certain individuals, on average, from others. Simultaneously, it is a judgement that varies systematically in light of our own traits, environment, and experiences. Over 30 years of research has generated robust effects alongside reasons to be humble in our lack of understanding of the precise physiological mechanisms involved in mate assessment. This review concludes with three questions to focus attention in further research, and proposes that our romantic preferences still provide a critical window into the evolution of human sexuality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D Watkins
- Division of Psychology and Forensic Sciences, School of Applied Sciences, Abertay University, Kydd Building, Bell Street, Dundee, DD11HG, UK
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3
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Lee AJ, Jones BC, Zietsch BP, Jern P, Connolly H, Marcinkowska UM. No evidence that sociosexual orientation moderates effects of conception probability on women's preferences for male facial masculinity. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10245. [PMID: 37353614 PMCID: PMC10290078 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37404-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Although many researchers have proposed that women will show stronger preferences for male facial masculinity when conception probability is high, empirical tests of this hypothesis have produced mixed results. One possible explanation for these inconsistent findings is that effects of conception probability on women's preferences for facial masculinity are moderated by additional factors not typically considered in these empirical tests. One such potential moderator is individual differences in women's openness to uncommitted sexual relationships (i.e., individual differences in women's sociosexual orientation); women who are more open to uncommitted sexual relationships might show stronger positive effects of conception probability on masculinity preferences, as their sexuality is more overt and sexual attitudes and behaviours are more diversified. Consequently, we analysed data from three independent samples (N = 2304, N = 483, and N = 339) to assess whether sociosexual orientation moderates the hypothesised positive effect of conception probability on women's facial masculinity preferences. Analyses showed no evidence that higher conception probability increased preferences for facial masculinity or that sociosexual orientation moderated the effect of conception probability on women's preferences for facial masculinity. While it remains possible that factors other than sociosexual orientation moderate effects of conception probability on masculinity preferences, our null results suggest that the mixed results for the effects of conception probability on facial masculinity preferences in previous studies are unlikely to be a consequence of failing to consider the moderating role of sociosexual orientation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony J Lee
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Division of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland.
| | - Benedict C Jones
- School of Psychology, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
| | - Brendan P Zietsch
- Centre for Psychology and Evolution, School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Patrick Jern
- Department of Psychology, Abo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Henry Connolly
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Division of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland
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4
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Garza R, Byrd-Craven J. Women's Mating Strategies and Mate Value Are Associated with Viewing Time to Facial Masculinity. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2023:10.1007/s10508-023-02621-7. [PMID: 37245165 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02621-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Sexual selection has shaped women's preferences for ideal physical features in men that signal good health. Facial masculinity is often used as a proxy in signaling health, viability, and disease resistance, and it is thought to be attractive because it advertises heritable benefits. Preferences for facial masculinity are also associated with individual differences in one's sociosexuality and mate value, where women oriented toward a short-term mating orientation and are of high mate value may prefer men with masculine features. The current study examined women's sociosexuality and mate value (i.e., self-rating of overall desirability) in rating attractiveness and visual attention to facial masculinity in men's faces using an eye-tracking task. Overall, women (N = 72) did not show any significant preferences for men with masculinized over feminized faces. However, women who scored high on sociosexuality (i.e., unrestricted sociosexuality) and mate value demonstrated increased visual attention and looking frequency to masculinized over feminized faces. The study highlights the unique role of cognitive mechanisms in visually assessing a potential mate and how individual differences in short-term mating strategies and mate value may moderate those preferences. These findings underscore the importance of examining individual differences in mate preferences research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ray Garza
- Department of Psychology and Communication, Texas A&M International University, 5201 University Blvd., Laredo, TX, 78041, USA.
| | - Jennifer Byrd-Craven
- The Oklahoma Center for Evolutionary Analysis (OCEAN), Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
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5
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Grueter CC, Goodman H, Fay N, Walker B, Coall D. Preference for Male Risk Takers Varies with Relationship Context and Health Status but not COVID Risk. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2023; 9:1-10. [PMID: 36845029 PMCID: PMC9944803 DOI: 10.1007/s40806-023-00354-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Risk taking is more commonly shown by males than females and has a signalling function, serving to advertise one's intrinsic quality to prospective mates. Previous research has established that male risk takers are judged as more attractive for short-term flings than long-term relationships, but the environmental and socioeconomic context surrounding female preferences for male risk takers has been overlooked. Using a survey instrument, we examined female preferences for male risk takers across 1304 females from 47 countries. We found preferences for physical risk takers to be more pronounced in females with a bisexual orientation and females who scored high on risk proneness. Self-reported health was positively associated with preferences for high risk takers as short-term mates, but the effect was moderated by country-level health, i.e. the association was stronger in countries with poorer health. The security provided by better health and access to health care may allow females to capitalise on the genetic quality afforded by selecting a risk-prone male whilst concurrently buffering the potential costs associated with the risk taker's lower paternal investment. The risk of contracting COVID-19 did not predict avoidance of risk takers, perhaps because this environmental cue is too novel to have moulded our behavioural preferences. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40806-023-00354-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyril C. Grueter
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Human Biology, School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, M309, LB 5005, Perth, WA 6001 Australia
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6001 Australia
| | - Hannah Goodman
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Human Biology, School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, M309, LB 5005, Perth, WA 6001 Australia
| | - Nicolas Fay
- School of Psychological Science, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6001 Australia
| | - Bradley Walker
- School of Psychological Science, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6001 Australia
| | - David Coall
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027 Australia
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6
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Zhang J, Zheng L. Adverse Childhood Experiences Predict Preference for Male Facial Masculinity in Gay Men in China. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s40806-022-00317-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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7
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Cazzato V, Walters ER, Urgesi C. Associations of observer's gender, Body Mass Index and internalization of societal beauty ideals to visual body processing. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2021; 85:3026-3039. [PMID: 33433640 PMCID: PMC8476362 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-020-01471-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
We examined whether visual processing mechanisms of the body of conspecifics are different in women and men and whether these rely on westernised socio-cultural ideals and body image concerns. Twenty-four women and 24 men performed a visual discrimination task of upright or inverted images of female or male bodies and faces (Experiment 1) and objects (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, both groups of women and men showed comparable abilities in the discrimination of upright and inverted bodies and faces. However, the gender of the human stimuli yielded different effects on participants' performance, so that female faces, and male bodies appeared to be processed less configurally than female bodies and male faces, respectively. Interestingly, the reduction of configural processing for male bodies was significantly predicted by participants' Body Mass Index (BMI) and their level of internalization of muscularity. Our findings suggest that configural visual processing of bodies and faces in women and men may be linked to a selective attention to detail needed for discriminating salient physical (perhaps sexual) cues of conspecifics. Importantly, BMI and muscularity internalization of beauty ideals may also play a crucial role in this mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Cazzato
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.
| | | | - Cosimo Urgesi
- Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
- Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
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8
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Saribay SA, Tureček P, Paluch R, Kleisner K. Differential effects of resource scarcity and pathogen prevalence on heterosexual women's facial masculinity preferences. EVOLUTIONARY HUMAN SCIENCES 2021; 3:e48. [PMID: 37588556 PMCID: PMC10427302 DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2021.42] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The present research focused on how environmental harshness may affect heterosexual women's preferences of potential male mates' facial characteristics, namely masculinity-femininity. The evidence on this issue is mixed and mostly from Western samples. We aimed to provide causal evidence using a sample of Turkish women and Turkish male faces. A video-based manipulation was developed to heighten environmental harshness perceptions. In the main experiment, participants were primed with resource scarcity, pathogen prevalence or neither (control). They then saw masculinised vs. feminised versions of the same faces and indicated the face that they would prefer for a long-term relationship and separately rated the faces on various dimensions. In general, masculinised faces were perceived as slightly more attractive, slightly healthier and much more formidable. A multilevel Bayesian model showed that pathogen prevalence lowered the preference for masculinised faces while resource scarcity weakly elevated it. The overall drop in attractiveness ratings in cases of high perceived pathogen prevalence, one of the strongest effects we observed, suggests that during epidemics, the formation of new relationships is not a favourable strategy. Implications for evolutionary theories of mate preference are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Adil Saribay
- Department of Psychology, Kadir Has University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Petr Tureček
- Department of Philosophy and History of Sciences, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
- Center for Theoretical Study, Charles University and Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Rüzgar Paluch
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
| | - Karel Kleisner
- Department of Philosophy and History of Sciences, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
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9
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Boothroyd LG, Jucker JL, Thornborrow T, Tovee MJ, Batres C, Penton-Voak I. Testing Mate Choice Hypotheses in a Transitional Small Scale Population. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-021-00173-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Objective
Tests of theories of mate choice often rely on data gathered in White, industrialised samples and this is especially the case for studies of facial attraction. Our understanding of preferences for sexual dimorphism is currently in flux and a number of hypotheses require testing in more diverse participant samples. The current study uses opportunistically gathered facial dimorphism preference data from 271 participants in rural Nicaragua, and 40 from the national capital Managua. We assess pre-registered hypotheses drawn from sexual selection theory, and from more recent approaches which consider the impacts of economic development and cultural ‘modernisation’ on mate preferences.
Methods
Participants verbally reported demographic data, and indicated preferences for five male and five female pairs of faces manipulated to differ in sexually dimorphic facial structure based on a sample of Salvadoran individuals.
Results
While urban participants showed a preference for more feminine female faces, this preference was not evident in the rural participants. Neither urban nor rural participants showed any directional preference for masculinised/feminised male faces. Furthermore, there was no support for any other pre-registered hypothesis.
Conclusions
Our results are consistent with previous studies showing no interest in facial dimorphism in less globally-acculturated, or market integrated, populations. Together, this suggests that while facial dimorphism may be subject to systematically varying preferences amongst some low-fertility, industrialised populations, it is not a feature which is likely to have been important in ancestral populations. We call for further work attempting to replicate well known mate choice phenomena in more diverse samples.
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10
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Zheng L. The Dyadic Effects of Top/Bottom Sexual Self-Labels and Partner Sexual Role Requirements on Facial Masculinity Preferences Among Gay and Bisexual Men in China. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2021; 58:122-128. [PMID: 31663784 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2019.1680596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Sexual position preferences in male same-sex relationships are reflected in individuals' top/bottom sexual self-labels and requirements for their partners' sexual positions. Previous studies revealed significant differences in facial masculinity preferences among sexual self-label groups among gay and bisexual men. This study examined the moderating effect of requirements for partners' sexual positions on the relationship between facial masculinity preferences and sexual self-labels. Participants (N = 1,628, data were collected in 2019) were shown 10 pairs of male faces sequentially, with each pair consisting of a masculinized and feminized version of the same base face. "Bottoms" and "versatiles" preferred masculinized faces over feminized faces, whereas "tops" showed no significant preference for masculinized or feminized faces. "Tops" preferred more feminized faces than did "bottoms" and "versatiles." There were significant interactions between sexual self-labels and requirements for partners' positions. "Tops" who required a complementary partner preferred more feminized faces than did those having no requirement. "Bottoms" who required a complementary partner preferred more masculinized faces than did those having no requirement. "Versatiles" requiring a "top" as a romantic partner preferred more masculinized faces than did those requiring "bottoms" or those having no requirement. The findings highlighted the correlation between sexual preferences and partner choices among gay and bisexual men. Stereotypes about gender and masculinity may account for the links between sexual self-labels and partner choice in both sexual self-labeling and preferred labeling of partners based on masculinity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), Southwest University
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University
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11
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Niu C, Zheng L. Reproductive strategies may predict women's preferences for male facial masculinity. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2020.110202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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12
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A new data-driven mathematical model dissociates attractiveness from sexual dimorphism of human faces. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16588. [PMID: 33024137 PMCID: PMC7538911 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73472-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Human facial attractiveness is evaluated by using multiple cues. Among others, sexual dimorphism (i.e. masculinity for male faces/femininity for female faces) is an influential factor of perceived attractiveness. Since facial attractiveness is judged by incorporating sexually dimorphic traits as well as other cues, it is theoretically possible to dissociate sexual dimorphism from facial attractiveness. This study tested this by using a data-driven mathematical modelling approach. We first analysed the correlation between perceived masculinity/femininity and attractiveness ratings for 400 computer-generated male and female faces (Experiment 1) and found positive correlations between perceived femininity and attractiveness for both male and female faces. Using these results, we manipulated a set of faces along the attractiveness dimension while controlling for sexual dimorphism by orthogonalisation with data-driven mathematical models (Experiment 2). Our results revealed that perceived attractiveness and sexual dimorphism are dissociable, suggesting that there are as yet unidentified facial cues other than sexual dimorphism that contribute to facial attractiveness. Future studies can investigate the true preference of sexual dimorphism or the genuine effects of attractiveness by using well-controlled facial stimuli like those that this study generated. The findings will be of benefit to the further understanding of what makes a face attractive.
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13
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The Role of Sexual Selection in the Evolution of Facial Displays in Male Non-human Primates and Men. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-020-00139-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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14
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Stower RE, Lee AJ, McIntosh TL, Sidari MJ, Sherlock JM, Dixson BJW. Mating Strategies and the Masculinity Paradox: How Relationship Context, Relationship Status, and Sociosexuality Shape Women's Preferences for Facial Masculinity and Beardedness. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2020; 49:809-820. [PMID: 31016490 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-019-1437-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2017] [Revised: 03/02/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2019] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
According to the dual mating strategy model, in short-term mating contexts women should forego paternal investment qualities in favor of mates with well-developed secondary sexual characteristics and dominant behavioral displays. We tested whether this model explains variation in women's preferences for facial masculinity and beardedness in male faces. Computer-generated composites that had been morphed to appear ± 50% masculine were rated by 671 heterosexual women (M age = 31.72 years, SD = 6.43) for attractiveness when considering them as a short-term partner, long-term partner, a co-parent, or a friend. They then completed the Revised Sociosexual Inventory (SOI-R) to determine their sexual openness on dimensions of desire, behavior, and attitudes. Results showed that women's preferences were strongest for average facial masculinity, followed by masculinized faces, with feminized faces being least attractive. In contrast to past research, facial masculinity preferences were stronger when judging for co-parenting partners than for short-term mates. Facial masculinity preferences were also positively associated with behavioral SOI, negatively with desire, and were unrelated to global or attitudinal SOI. Women gave higher ratings for full beards than clean-shaven faces. Preferences for beards were higher for co-parenting and long-term relationships than short-term relationships, although these differences were not statistically significant. Preferences for facial hair were positively associated with global and attitudinal SOI, but were unrelated to behavioral SOI and desire. Although further replication is necessary, our findings indicate that sexual openness is associated with women's preferences for men's facial hair and suggest variation in the association between sociosexuality and women's facial masculinity preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca E Stower
- School of Psychology, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Anthony J Lee
- Division of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, UK
| | - Toneya L McIntosh
- School of Psychology, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Morgan J Sidari
- School of Psychology, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - James M Sherlock
- School of Psychology, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Barnaby J W Dixson
- School of Psychology, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
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15
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Sadr J, Krowicki L. Face perception loves a challenge: Less information sparks more attraction. Vision Res 2019; 157:61-83. [DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2019.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2017] [Revised: 01/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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16
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Marcinkowska UM, Rantala MJ, Lee AJ, Kozlov MV, Aavik T, Cai H, Contreras-Garduño J, David OA, Kaminski G, Li NP, Onyishi IE, Prasai K, Pazhoohi F, Prokop P, Cardozo SLR, Sydney N, Taniguchi H, Krams I, Dixson BJW. Women's preferences for men's facial masculinity are strongest under favorable ecological conditions. Sci Rep 2019; 9:3387. [PMID: 30833635 PMCID: PMC6399235 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39350-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 12/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The strength of sexual selection on secondary sexual traits varies depending on prevailing economic and ecological conditions. In humans, cross-cultural evidence suggests women’s preferences for men’s testosterone dependent masculine facial traits are stronger under conditions where health is compromised, male mortality rates are higher and economic development is higher. Here we use a sample of 4483 exclusively heterosexual women from 34 countries and employ mixed effects modelling to test how social, ecological and economic variables predict women’s facial masculinity preferences. We report women’s preferences for more masculine looking men are stronger in countries with higher sociosexuality and where national health indices and human development indices are higher, while no associations were found between preferences and indices of intra-sexual competition. Our results show that women’s preferences for masculine faces are stronger under conditions where offspring survival is higher and economic conditions are more favorable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urszula M Marcinkowska
- Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland.,Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | | | - Anthony J Lee
- Division of Psychology, University of Stirling, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | | | - Toivo Aavik
- Institute of Psychology, University of Tartu, Turku, Estonia
| | - Huajian Cai
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P. R. China
| | | | - Oana A David
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Gwenaël Kaminski
- CLLE, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UT2J, Toulouse, 31058, France.,Institut Universitaire de France, 103 boulevard Saint-Michel, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Norman P Li
- School of Social Sciences, Singapore Management University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ike E Onyishi
- Department of Psychology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria
| | | | - Farid Pazhoohi
- Department of Basic Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Pavol Prokop
- Department of Biology, Trnava University, Trnava, Slovakia.,Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | | | - Nicolle Sydney
- Department of Zoology, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Hirokazu Taniguchi
- Department of Educational Psychology, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Indrikis Krams
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.,Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia.,Department of Biotechnology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, Latvia
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17
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Marcinkowska UM, Helle S, Jones BC, Jasienska G. Does testosterone predict women's preference for facial masculinity? PLoS One 2019; 14:e0210636. [PMID: 30811400 PMCID: PMC6392222 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 12/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The influence of sex hormones on women’s mate preferences has been an intensively discussed topic for more than a decade. Yet the extent to which levels of sex hormones, and testosterone in particular, influence women’s mate preferences is unclear. Thus, the current study used multilevel modelling to investigate putative relationships between salivary testosterone and facial masculinity preferences in a sample of 68 women, while controlling for their age, partnership status, and sociosexuality. We found no significant associations between masculinity preferences and either individual differences or within-woman changes in testosterone. We did find however, that sociosexuality was positively correlated with masculinity preferences. Although it has previously been suggested that testosterone is related to women’s facial masculinity preference, our data do not support this proposal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urszula M. Marcinkowska
- Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Cracow, Poland
- * E-mail:
| | - Samuli Helle
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Benedict C. Jones
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Grazyna Jasienska
- Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Cracow, Poland
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18
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Marcinkowska UM, Jasienska G, Prokop P. A Comparison of Masculinity Facial Preference Among Naturally Cycling, Pregnant, Lactating, and Post-Menopausal Women. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2018; 47:1367-1374. [PMID: 29071543 PMCID: PMC5954065 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-017-1093-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2016] [Revised: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Women show cyclical shifts in preferences for physical male traits. Here we investigated how fertility status influences women's facial masculinity preference in men by analyzing a large sample of heterosexual women (N = 3720). Women were regularly either cycling (in both low- and high-conception probability groups), lactating or were currently in a non-fertile state (pregnant or post-menopausal). Analyses simultaneously controlled for women's age and sexual openness. Participants via two alternative forced choice questions judged attractiveness of masculinized and feminized men's faces. After controlling for the effect of age and sociosexuality, regularly cycling and pregnant women showed a stronger preference for masculinity than lactating and post-menopausal women. However, there was no significant difference in masculinity preference between women in the low- and high-conception probability groups. Women's sociosexuality showed a positive, but very weak association with men's facial masculinity preference. We suggest that women's overall, long-term hormonal state (cycling, post-menopausal) is a stronger predictor of preference for sexual dimorphism than changes in hormonal levels through the cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urszula M Marcinkowska
- Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-531, Cracow, Poland.
| | - Grazyna Jasienska
- Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-531, Cracow, Poland
| | - Pavol Prokop
- Faculty of Education, Trnava University, Trnava, Slovakia
- Institute of Zoology, Bratislava, Slovakia
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19
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Unrestricted sexuality promotes distinctive short- and long-term mate preferences in women. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2017.01.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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20
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Dixson BJ, Lee AJ, Sherlock JM, Talamas SN. Beneath the beard: do facial morphometrics influence the strength of judgments of men's beardedness? EVOL HUM BEHAV 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2016.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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21
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Sy A, Kim W, Chen J, Shen Y, Tao C, Lee J. Acculturation levels and personalizing orthognathic surgery for the Asian American patient. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg 2016; 45:1201-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijom.2016.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2015] [Revised: 02/19/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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22
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Rodeheffer CD, Proffitt Leyva RP, Hill SE. Attractive Female Romantic Partners Provide a Proxy for Unobservable Male Qualities. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1177/1474704916652144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research indicates that women find men more desirable when they appear to be desired by other women than in the absence of such cues—an effect referred to as female mate choice copying. Female mate choice copying is believed to emerge from a process whereby women use the presence of a man’s mate as a cue to his own quality. Here, we test this hypothesis explicitly by examining whether the desirability enhancement effect conferred on men by the presumed interest of an attractive female (a) emerges only when the female is described as being a man’s current romantic partner (Experiment 1) and (b) is mediated by women’s belief that men partnered to attractive women possess unobservable qualities that women value in their romantic partners (Experiment 2). The results of our two experiments found support for these hypotheses, shedding new light on the processes influencing human female mate choice copying.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sarah E. Hill
- Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX, USA
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23
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Individual differences as the output of evolved calibration mechanisms: does the theory make sense in view of empirical observations? Curr Opin Psychol 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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24
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Prokop P, Pazda AD, Elliot AJ. Influence of conception risk and sociosexuality on female attraction to male red. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2015.07.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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25
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Dark traits: Sometimes hot, and sometimes not? Female preferences for Dark Triad faces depend on sociosexuality and contraceptive use. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2015.06.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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26
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The Relationship Between Cognitive and Affective Empathy and Human Mating Strategies. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s40806-015-0027-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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27
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Zietsch BP, Lee AJ, Sherlock JM, Jern P. Variation in Women’s Preferences Regarding Male Facial Masculinity Is Better Explained by Genetic Differences Than by Previously Identified Context-Dependent Effects. Psychol Sci 2015; 26:1440-8. [DOI: 10.1177/0956797615591770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2014] [Accepted: 05/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Women’s preferences for masculine versus feminine male faces are highly variable. According to a dominant theory in evolutionary psychology, this variability results from adaptations that optimize preferences by calibrating them to certain contextual factors, including women’s self-perceived attractiveness, short- versus long-term relationship orientation, pathogen disgust sensitivity, and stage of the menstrual cycle. The theory does not account for the possible contribution of genetic variation on women’s facial masculinity preference. Using a large sample ( N = 2,160) of identical and nonidentical female Finnish twins and their siblings, we showed that the proportion of variation in women’s preferences regarding male facial masculinity that was attributable to genetic variation (38%) dwarfed the variation due to the combined effect of contextual factors (< 1%). These findings cast doubt on the importance of these context-dependent effects and may suggest a need for refocusing in the field toward understanding the wide genetic variation in these preferences and how this variation relates to the evolution of sexual dimorphism in faces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan P. Zietsch
- School of Psychology, University of Queensland
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | | | | | - Patrick Jern
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Abo Akademi University
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Philosophy, University of Turku
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28
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Zheng L, Zheng Y. Correlated Preferences for Male Facial Masculinity and Partner Traits in Gay and Bisexual Men in China. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2015; 44:1423-1430. [PMID: 25331614 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-014-0407-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2013] [Revised: 04/18/2013] [Accepted: 04/20/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have documented the correlation between preferences for male facial masculinity and perceived masculinity: women who rate their male partner as more masculine tend to prefer more masculine faces. Men's self-rated masculinity predicts their female partner's preference for masculinity. This study examined the association between other trait preferences and preference for male facial masculinity among 556 gay and bisexual men across multiple cities in China. Participants were asked to choose the three most important traits in a romantic partner from a list of 23 traits. Each participant was then asked to choose a preferred face in each of 10 pairs of male faces presented sequentially, with each pair consisting of a masculinized and feminized version of the same base face. The results indicated that preferences for health and status-related traits were correlated with preferences for male facial masculinity in gay and bisexual men in China; individuals who were more health- or status-oriented in their preferences for a romantic partner preferred more masculine male faces than individuals with lower levels of these orientations. The findings have implications for the correlated preferences for facial masculinity and health- and status-related traits and may be related to perceived health and dominance/aggression of masculine faces based on a sample of non-Western gay and bisexual men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
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29
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Cloud JM, Perilloux C. “Drawing” Conclusions About Perceptions of Ideal Male and Female Body Shapes. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s40806-015-0020-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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30
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Lyons MT, Marcinkowska UM, Helle S, McGrath L. Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the most masculine of them all? The Dark Triad, masculinity, and women’s mate choice. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2014.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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31
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Al-Shawaf L, Lewis DM, Alley TR, Buss DM. Mating strategy, disgust, and food neophobia. Appetite 2015; 85:30-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2014.10.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2014] [Revised: 10/26/2014] [Accepted: 10/30/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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32
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Vigil JM, DiDomenico J, Strenth C, Coulombe P, Kruger E, Mueller AA, Guevara Beltran D, Adams I. Experimenter Effects on Pain Reporting in Women Vary across the Menstrual Cycle. Int J Endocrinol 2015; 2015:520719. [PMID: 25892990 PMCID: PMC4393943 DOI: 10.1155/2015/520719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2014] [Accepted: 03/15/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background. Separate lines of research have shown that menstrual cycling and contextual factors such as the gender of research personnel influence experimental pain reporting. Objectives. This study examines how brief, procedural interactions with female and male experimenters can affect experimentally reported pain (cold pressor task, CPT) across the menstrual cycle. Methods. Based on the menstrual calendars 94 naturally cycling women and 38 women using hormonal contraceptives (M age = 19.83, SD = 3.09) were assigned to low and high fertility groups. This assignment was based on estimates of their probability of conception given their current cycle day. Experimenters (12 males, 7 females) engaged in minimal procedural interactions with participants before the CPT was performed in solitude. Results. Naturally cycling women in the high fertility group showed significantly higher pain tolerance (81 sec, d = .79) following interactions with a male but not a female experimenter. Differences were not found for women in the low fertility or contraceptive groups. Discussion. The findings illustrate that menstrual functioning moderates the effect that experimenter gender has on pain reporting in women. Conclusion. These findings have implications for standardizing pain measurement protocols and understanding how basic biopsychosocial mechanisms (e.g., person-perception systems) can modulate pain experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob M. Vigil
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, 1 University of New Mexico, MSC03 2220, Albuquerque, NM 87131-1161, USA
- *Jacob M. Vigil:
| | - Jared DiDomenico
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, 1 University of New Mexico, MSC03 2220, Albuquerque, NM 87131-1161, USA
| | - Chance Strenth
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, 1 University of New Mexico, MSC03 2220, Albuquerque, NM 87131-1161, USA
| | - Patrick Coulombe
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, 1 University of New Mexico, MSC03 2220, Albuquerque, NM 87131-1161, USA
| | - Eric Kruger
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, 1 University of New Mexico, MSC03 2220, Albuquerque, NM 87131-1161, USA
| | - Andrea A. Mueller
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, 1 University of New Mexico, MSC03 2220, Albuquerque, NM 87131-1161, USA
| | - Diego Guevara Beltran
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, 1 University of New Mexico, MSC03 2220, Albuquerque, NM 87131-1161, USA
| | - Ian Adams
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, 1 University of New Mexico, MSC03 2220, Albuquerque, NM 87131-1161, USA
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O'Connor JJM, Jones BC, Fraccaro PJ, Tigue CC, Pisanski K, Feinberg DR. Sociosexual attitudes and dyadic sexual desire independently predict women's preferences for male vocal masculinity. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2014; 43:1343-1353. [PMID: 24830906 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-014-0298-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2012] [Revised: 02/06/2014] [Accepted: 02/09/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Research suggests that the desire to behave sexually with a partner (dyadic sexual desire) may reflect desire for intimacy whereas solitary sexual desire may reflect pleasure seeking motivations more generally. Because direct reproductive success can only be increased with a sexual partner, we tested whether dyadic sexual desire was a better predictor of women's preferences for lower pitched men's voices (a marker of relatively high reproductive success) than was solitary sexual desire. In Study 1, women (N = 95) with higher dyadic sexual desire scores on the Sexual Desire Inventory-2 preferred masculinized male voices more than did women with lower dyadic sexual desire scores. We did not find a significant relationship between women's vocal masculinity preferences and their solitary sexual desire scores. In Study 2, we tested whether the relationship between voice preferences and dyadic sexual desire scores was related to differences in sociosexual orientation. Women (N = 80) with more positive attitudes towards uncommitted sex had stronger vocal masculinity preferences regardless of whether men's attractiveness was judged for short-term or long-term relationships. Independent of the effect of sociosexual attitudes, dyadic sexual desire positively predicted women's masculinity preferences when assessing men's attractiveness for short-term but not long-term relationships. These effects were independent of women's own relationship status and hormonal contraceptive use. Our results provide further evidence that women's mate preferences may independently reflect individual differences in both sexual desire and openness to short-term relationships, potentially with the ultimate function of maximizing the fitness benefits of women's mate choices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jillian J M O'Connor
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada,
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34
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Boothroyd LG, Brewer G. Self-reported impulsivity, rather than sociosexuality, predicts women's preferences for masculine features in male faces. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2014; 43:983-988. [PMID: 24346865 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-013-0204-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2012] [Revised: 01/04/2013] [Accepted: 07/27/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Previous research has suggested that an individual's sociosexual orientation (i.e., their willingness to engage in sexual behavior outside of long-term relationships) may influence the qualities they find attractive in a potential mate. Results, however, have not been consistent and, moreover, studies have tended to draw from specific social groups. Here, we tested the relationship between sociosexuality and female's preferences for masculinity in male faces, using a diverse population. We furthermore investigated impulsivity alongside sociosexuality, as this trait has been suggested as a "root" cause of variation in sexual behavior (Cross, 2010) and thus may better explain variation in mate choice. Results showed a significant association between increases in both sociosexuality and two subcomponents of impulsivity and greater preferences for masculine male features. Regression analysis suggested that a subcomponent of impulsivity, namely lack of planning, was the primary determinant of preferences. We discuss the implications these results have for our understanding of female attraction to masculine features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynda G Boothroyd
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK,
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35
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Kandrik M, Fincher CL, Jones BC, DeBruine LM. Men's, but not women's, sociosexual orientation predicts couples' perceptions of sexually dimorphic cues in own-sex faces. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2014; 43:965-971. [PMID: 24366658 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-013-0202-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2013] [Revised: 06/07/2013] [Accepted: 07/27/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Previous research suggests that people's perceptions of own-sex individuals can change according to within-individual variation in their romantic partners' sexual strategies. For example, men are more likely to perceive other men's faces as looking particularly dominant during the fertile phase of their partner's menstrual cycle, when women tend to be more open to uncommitted sexual relationships. By contrast, little is known about how relatively stable between-individuals differences in partners' openness to uncommitted sexual relationships (i.e., their sociosexual orientation) predict perceptions of own-sex individuals. The revised Sociosexual Orientation Inventory (SOI-R) assesses individuals' openness to uncommitted sexual relationships and shows high test-retest reliability over long periods of time. Consequently, we tested whether the SOI-R scores of men and women in heterosexual romantic couples predicted their perceptions of own-sex faces displaying exaggerated sex-typical cues. Men's, but not women's, SOI-R was positively correlated with the extent to which both the man and woman within a couple ascribed high dominance and attractiveness to own-sex faces with exaggerated sex-typical cues. In other words, individuals in couples where the man reported being particularly open to uncommitted sexual relationships were more likely to ascribe dominance and attractiveness to own-sex individuals displaying a putative cue of good phenotypic condition. These findings suggest that both men's and women's perceptions of potential competitors for mates are sensitive to the male partner's sexual strategy. Such individual differences in perceptions may benefit men's ability to compete for extra-pair and/or replacement mates and benefit women's mate guarding behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Kandrik
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QB, Scotland, UK
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36
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Socio-sexuality and episodic memory function in women: further evidence of an adaptive "mating mode". Mem Cognit 2014; 41:850-61. [PMID: 23389699 DOI: 10.3758/s13421-013-0301-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The functionalist memory perspective predicts that information of adaptive value may trigger specific processing modes. It was recently demonstrated that women's memory is sensitive to cues of male sexual dimorphism (i.e., masculinity) that convey information of adaptive value for mate choice because they signal health and genetic quality, as well as personality traits important in relationship contexts. Here, we show that individual differences in women's mating strategies predict the effect of facial masculinity cues upon memory, strengthening the case for functional design within memory. Using the revised socio-sexual orientation inventory, Experiment 1 demonstrates that women pursuing a short-term, uncommitted mating strategy have enhanced source memory for men with exaggerated versus reduced masculine facial features, an effect that reverses in women who favor long-term committed relationships. The reversal in the direction of the effect indicates that it does not reflect the sex typicality of male faces per se. The same pattern occurred within women's source memory for women's faces, implying that the memory bias does not reflect the perceived attractiveness of faces per se. In Experiment 2, we reran the experiment using men's faces to establish the reliability of the core finding and replicated Experiment 1's results. Masculinity cues may therefore trigger a specific mode within women's episodic memory. We discuss why this mode may be triggered by female faces and its possible role in mate choice. In so doing, we draw upon the encoding specificity principle and the idea that episodic memory limits the scope of stereotypical inferences about male behavior.
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37
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Lee AJ, Dubbs SL, Von Hippel W, Brooks RC, Zietsch BP. A multivariate approach to human mate preferences. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2014.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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38
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39
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Evaluating Evidence of Mate Preference Adaptations: How Do We Really Know What Homo sapiens sapiens Really Want? EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-0314-6_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
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40
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Holzleitner IJ, Hunter DW, Tiddeman BP, Seck A, Re DE, Perrett DI. Men's Facial Masculinity: When (Body) Size Matters. Perception 2014; 43:1191-202. [DOI: 10.1068/p7673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies suggest that judgments of facial masculinity reflect more than sexually dimorphic shape. Here, we investigated whether the perception of masculinity is influenced by facial cues to body height and weight. We used the average differences in three-dimensional face shape of forty men and forty women to compute a morphological masculinity score, and derived analogous measures for facial correlates of height and weight based on the average face shape of short and tall, and light and heavy men. We found that facial cues to body height and weight had substantial and independent effects on the perception of masculinity. Our findings suggest that men are perceived as more masculine if they appear taller and heavier, independent of how much their face shape differs from women's. We describe a simple method to quantify how body traits are reflected in the face and to define the physical basis of psychological attributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris J Holzleitner
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Mary's Quad, South Street, St Andrews KY16 9JP, UK
| | - David W Hunter
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Mary's Quad, South Street, St Andrews KY16 9JP, UK
| | - Bernard P Tiddeman
- Department of Computer Science, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth SY23 3-DB, UK
| | - Alassane Seck
- Department of Computer Science, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth SY23 3-DB, UK
| | - Daniel E Re
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Mary's Quad, South Street, St Andrews KY16 9JP, UK
| | - David I Perrett
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Mary's Quad, South Street, St Andrews KY16 9JP, UK
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41
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Zheng L, Hart TA, Zheng Y. Attraction to male facial masculinity in gay men in China: relationship to intercourse preference positions and sociosexual behavior. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2013; 42:1223-1232. [PMID: 23440561 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-012-0057-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2011] [Revised: 10/26/2012] [Accepted: 11/04/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Distinctions are commonly made regarding preferences for insertive or receptive anal intercourse within gay male communities. Three sexual self-labels are typically specified: "top," meaning a man who prefers the insertive role, "bottom," meaning a man who prefers the receptive role, and "versatile," meaning a man willing to perform either role. In this study, we examined the association between intercourse position preference and preference for male facial masculinity among 447 gay men across multiple cities in China. Each participant was shown 10 pairs of male faces sequentially, with each pair consisting of a masculinized and feminized version of the same base face. Tops preferred the feminized male face over the masculinized face, bottoms preferred the masculinized male face over the feminized face, and versatiles did not have a preference. Tops preferred more feminized male faces than did bottoms and versatiles. Preferences for male facial masculinity were also associated with sociosexual orientation and the nature of the associations differed by sex role preferences. Among tops, men who were less restricted preferred more feminine male faces compared to men who were more restricted. Among bottoms, men who were less restricted preferred more masculine male faces compared to men who were more restricted. Among versatiles, there was no association between sociosexual orientation and preferences for male facial masculinity. These findings provide new evidence that less sociosexually restricted men have stronger preferences for sexual dimorphism in the sexual partners they prefer than do more restricted men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Southwest University, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
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42
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Palmer-Hague JL, Zilioli S, Watson NV. Predictions for Sex of First Born Child Reflect Masculine and Feminine Characteristics in Male and Female Undergraduates. Evol Psychol 2013. [DOI: 10.1177/147470491301100408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has identified physical and behavioral differences between parents who produce sons and those who produce daughters. However, the possibility that men and women have predictions about the sexes of their offspring based on these differences, or any other interoceptive cues, has not been investigated. We compared the dominance, sociosexual orientation, estradiol, testosterone, and 2D:4D ratios of men and women who predicted they would conceive a boy as their first child with those who predicted a girl. Women who predicted they would have a boy were more dominant and less sociosexually restricted than those who predicted they would have a girl. Men who predicted they would have a girl had higher salivary estradiol and higher (more feminine) 2D:4D ratios than those who predicted they would have a boy. Possible implications of these results are discussed in the context of evolutionary theory.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Samuele Zilioli
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby BC, Canada
| | - Neil V. Watson
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby BC, Canada
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Scott IML, Clark AP, Boothroyd LG, Penton-Voak IS. Do men's faces really signal heritable immunocompetence? Behav Ecol 2013; 24:579-589. [PMID: 23555177 PMCID: PMC3613940 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ars092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2011] [Revised: 10/14/2011] [Accepted: 05/08/2012] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
In the literature on human mate choice, masculine facial morphology is often proposed to be an intersexual signal of heritable immunocompetence, and hence an important component of men's attractiveness. This hypothesis has received considerable research attention, and is increasingly treated as plausible and well supported. In this article, we propose that the strength of the evidence for the immunocompetence hypothesis is somewhat overstated, and that a number of difficulties have been under-acknowledged. Such difficulties include (1) the tentative nature of the evidence regarding masculinity and disease in humans, (2) the complex and uncertain picture emerging from the animal literature on sexual ornaments and immunity, (3) the absence of consistent, cross-cultural support for the predictions of the immunocompetence hypothesis regarding preferences for masculinized stimuli, and (4) evidence that facial masculinity contributes very little, if anything, to overall attractiveness in real men. Furthermore, alternative explanations for patterns of preferences, in particular the proposal that masculinity is primarily an intrasexual signal, have been neglected. We suggest that immunocompetence perspectives on masculinity, whilst appealing in many ways, should still be regarded as speculative, and that other perspectives-and other traits-should be the subject of greater attention for researchers studying human mate preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel M L Scott
- Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Bristol , Bristol, BS8 1UU UK
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44
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Goetz CD. What Do Women's Advertised Mate Preferences Reveal? An Analysis of Video Dating Profiles. Evol Psychol 2013. [DOI: 10.1177/147470491301100208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
This study examined women's video dating profiles to determine what their advertised mate preferences revealed about their mate value and relationship interests. Women created a one-minute long video dating profile for a hypothetical dating website. The videos were content analyzed into four categories of stated mate preferences: 1) “good genes” indicators 2) good resource investment potential indicators 3) good parenting indicators and 4) good partner indicators. Long-term mating interest was positively correlated with describing good partner indicators and self-perceived mate value was positively correlated with describing good genes indicators. Short-term mating interest was negatively correlated with describing any mate preferences while attractiveness was positively correlated with doing so. Results suggest that women's advertised mate preferences provide clues to their underlying relationship interests and mate value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cari D. Goetz
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX
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45
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Body shape preferences: associations with rater body shape and sociosexuality. PLoS One 2013; 8:e52532. [PMID: 23300976 PMCID: PMC3534680 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0052532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2012] [Accepted: 11/19/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
There is accumulating evidence of condition-dependent mate choice in many species, that is, individual preferences varying in strength according to the condition of the chooser. In humans, for example, people with more attractive faces/bodies, and who are higher in sociosexuality, exhibit stronger preferences for attractive traits in opposite-sex faces/bodies. However, previous studies have tended to use only relatively simple, isolated measures of rater attractiveness. Here we use 3D body scanning technology to examine associations between strength of rater preferences for attractive traits in opposite-sex bodies, and raters’ body shape, self-perceived attractiveness, and sociosexuality. For 118 raters and 80 stimuli models, we used a 3D scanner to extract body measurements associated with attractiveness (male waist-chest ratio [WCR], female waist-hip ratio [WHR], and volume-height index [VHI] in both sexes) and also measured rater self-perceived attractiveness and sociosexuality. As expected, WHR and VHI were important predictors of female body attractiveness, while WCR and VHI were important predictors of male body attractiveness. Results indicated that male rater sociosexuality scores were positively associated with strength of preference for attractive (low) VHI and attractive (low) WHR in female bodies. Moreover, male rater self-perceived attractiveness was positively associated with strength of preference for low VHI in female bodies. The only evidence of condition-dependent preferences in females was a positive association between attractive VHI in female raters and preferences for attractive (low) WCR in male bodies. No other significant associations were observed in either sex between aspects of rater body shape and strength of preferences for attractive opposite-sex body traits. These results suggest that among male raters, rater self-perceived attractiveness and sociosexuality are important predictors of preference strength for attractive opposite-sex body shapes, and that rater body traits –with the exception of VHI in female raters– may not be good predictors of these preferences in either sex.
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Sacco DF, Jones BC, DeBruine LM, Hugenberg K. The roles of sociosexual orientation and relationship status in women’s face preferences. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2012.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Bribiescas RG, Ellison PT, Gray PB. Male Life History, Reproductive Effort, and the Evolution of the Genus Homo. CURRENT ANTHROPOLOGY 2012. [DOI: 10.1086/667538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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48
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Quist MC, Watkins CD, Smith FG, Little AC, Debruine LM, Jones BC. Sociosexuality predicts women's preferences for symmetry in men's faces. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2012; 41:1415-1421. [PMID: 21882053 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-011-9848-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2011] [Revised: 08/03/2011] [Accepted: 08/05/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Although men displaying cues of good physical condition possess traits that are desirable in a mate (e.g., good health), these men are also more likely to possess antisocial characteristics that are undesirable in a long-term partner (e.g., aggression and tendency to infidelity). How women resolve this trade-off between the costs and benefits associated with choosing a mate in good physical condition may lead to strategic variation in women's mate preferences. Because the costs of choosing a mate with antisocial personality characteristics are greater in long- than short-term relationships, women's sociosexuality (i.e., the extent to which they are interested in uncommitted sexual relationships) may predict individual differences in their mate preferences. Here we investigated variation in 99 heterosexual women's preferences for facial symmetry, a characteristic that is thought to be an important cue of physical condition. Symmetry preferences were assessed using pairs of symmetrized and original (i.e., relatively asymmetric) versions of 10 male and 10 female faces. Analyses showed that women's sociosexuality, and their sociosexual attitude in particular, predicted their preferences for symmetry in men's, but not women's, faces; women who reported being more interested in short-term, uncommitted relationships demonstrated stronger attraction to symmetric men. Our findings present new evidence for potentially adaptive variation in women's symmetry preferences that is consistent with trade-off theories of attraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle C Quist
- Face Research Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3FX, UK
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The influence of facial masculinity and voice pitch on jealousy and perceptions of intrasexual rivalry. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2011.10.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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50
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Puts DA, Jones BC, DeBruine LM. Sexual selection on human faces and voices. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2012; 49:227-243. [PMID: 22380590 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2012.658924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Humans are highly sexually dimorphic primates, and some of the most conspicuous human sex differences occur in the face and voice. Consequently, this article utilizes research findings on human faces and voices to illustrate how human sex differences may have arisen by sexual selection (i.e., the type of natural selection favoring traits that increase mating opportunities). Evidence suggesting that sexual selection shaped women's faces and voices is reviewed. However, sexual selection likely operated more strongly on men over human evolution. Thus, this research focuses on two types of sexual selection operating on men: female mate choice, which favors traits that attract females, and male contests, which favor traits for excluding competitors from mates by force or threat of force. This article demonstrates how masculine faces and voices advertize critical information about men's mate value and threat potential, and reviews evidence that women's preferences and men's deference to masculine faces and voices reflect this information content. Data suggesting that facial and vocal masculinity influences men's mating opportunities and reproduction are discussed, and the article concludes by highlighting directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Puts
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
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