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Bulczak G, Gugushvili A. Physical attractiveness and cardiometabolic risk. Am J Hum Biol 2023; 35:e23895. [PMID: 36932650 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES There is only limited evidence suggesting that physical attractiveness and individuals' actual health are causally linked. Past studies demonstrate that characteristics related to physical attractiveness are more likely to be present in healthy individuals, including those with better cardiovascular and metabolic health, yet many of these studies do not account for individuals' initial health and socioeconomic characteristics, which are related to both physical attractiveness and later life health. METHODS We use panel survey data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health in the United States to examine the relationship between interviewer-rated in-person physical attractiveness and actual cardiometabolic risk (CMR) based on a set of relevant biomarkers: LDL cholesterol, glucose mg/dL, C-reactive protein, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and resting heart rate. RESULTS We identify a robust relationship between individuals' physical attractiveness and 10-year follow up actual health measured by the levels of CMR. Individuals of above-average attractiveness appear to be noticeably healthier than those who are described as having average attractiveness. We find that individuals' gender and race/ethnicity do not have a major effect on the described relationship. The link between physical attractiveness and health is affected by interviewers' main demographic characteristics. We carefully address the possibility of confounders affecting our results including sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics, cognitive and personality traits, initial health problems and BMI. CONCLUSION Our findings are largely in line with the evolutionary perspective which assumes that physical attractiveness is linked to individuals' biological health. Being perceived as physically attractive might also imply, among other aspects, high levels of satisfaction with life, self-confidence and ease of finding intimate partners, all of which can positively affect individuals' health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grzegorz Bulczak
- Faculty of Management, Gdynia Maritime University, Gdynia, Poland
- Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Alexi Gugushvili
- Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
- Department of Sociology and Human Geography, Harriet Holters hus, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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Wen F, Qiao Y, Zuo B, Ye H, Ding Y, Wang Q, Ma S. Dominance or Integration? Influence of Sexual Dimorphism and Clothing Color on Judgments of Male and Female Targets' Attractiveness, Warmth, and Competence. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:2823-2836. [PMID: 35668276 PMCID: PMC9169590 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-021-02283-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The face is an important source of information in social interactions. Prior studies exploring the mechanism of face perception were consistent with either dominance or integration theory. Studies have shown that both sexually dimorphic features and background cues play essential roles in the formation of impressions and the perception of facial attractiveness. In this study, we conducted two experiments to examine 539 participants' appraisal of attractiveness, warmth, and competence of the target faces of masculine and feminine men and women dressed in red, blue, or white. The results showed that: (1) feminized male/female faces were considered to have a higher degree of attractiveness, warmth, and competence, (2) people rated feminine faces wearing red higher in terms of attractiveness perception, while there was no significant effect of red on attractiveness perception of masculine faces, (3) when evaluating the warmth of targets, the promotion effect of red was found for feminine faces but not for masculine faces. This study, conducted in a pathogen disgust environment, provides direct evidence to support the integration theory over the dominance theory. Feminized red preference found in this study matches Chinese collectivism and the red cultural heritage, which has an important value for people's daily impression management and consumption decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangfang Wen
- School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Social Psychology, Central China Normal University, Luo Yu Road No. 152, Wuhan, 430079, Hubei Province, China
| | - Yalan Qiao
- School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Social Psychology, Central China Normal University, Luo Yu Road No. 152, Wuhan, 430079, Hubei Province, China
| | - Bin Zuo
- School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Social Psychology, Central China Normal University, Luo Yu Road No. 152, Wuhan, 430079, Hubei Province, China.
| | - Hanxue Ye
- School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Social Psychology, Central China Normal University, Luo Yu Road No. 152, Wuhan, 430079, Hubei Province, China
| | - Yu Ding
- School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Social Psychology, Central China Normal University, Luo Yu Road No. 152, Wuhan, 430079, Hubei Province, China
| | - Qi Wang
- School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Social Psychology, Central China Normal University, Luo Yu Road No. 152, Wuhan, 430079, Hubei Province, China
| | - Shuhan Ma
- School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Social Psychology, Central China Normal University, Luo Yu Road No. 152, Wuhan, 430079, Hubei Province, China
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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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Fiala V, Třebický V, Pazhoohi F, Leongómez JD, Tureček P, Saribay SA, Akoko RM, Kleisner K. Facial attractiveness and preference of sexual dimorphism: A comparison across five populations. EVOLUTIONARY HUMAN SCIENCES 2021; 3:e38. [PMID: 37588529 PMCID: PMC10427909 DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2021.33] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite intensive research, evolutionary psychology has not yet reached a consensus regarding the association between sexual dimorphism and attractiveness. This study examines associations between perceived and morphological facial sexual dimorphism and perceived attractiveness in samples from five distant countries (Cameroon, Colombia, Czechia, Iran and Turkey). We also examined possible moderating effects of skin lightness, averageness, age, body mass and facial width. Our results suggest that in all samples, women's perceived femininity was positively related to their perceived attractiveness. Women found perceived masculinity in men attractive only in Czechia and Colombia, two distant populations. The association between perceived sexual dimorphism and attractiveness is thus potentially universal only for women. Across populations, morphological sexual dimorphism and averageness are not universally associated with either perceived facial sexual dimorphism or attractiveness. With our exploratory approach, results highlight the need for control of which measure of sexual dimorphism is used (perceived or measured) because they affect perceived attractiveness differently. Morphological averageness and sexual dimorphism are not good predictors of perceived attractiveness. It is noted that future studies should use samples from multiple populations to allow for identification of specific effects of local environmental and socioeconomic conditions on preferred traits in unmanipulated local facial stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vojtěch Fiala
- Department of Philosophy and History of Science, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Vít Třebický
- Department of Philosophy and History of Science, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Farid Pazhoohi
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Juan David Leongómez
- Human Behaviour Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad El Bosque, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Petr Tureček
- Department of Philosophy and History of Science, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - S. Adil Saribay
- Department of Psychology, Kadir Has University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Robert Mbe Akoko
- Department of Communication and Development Studies, University of Bamenda, Cameroon
| | - Karel Kleisner
- Department of Philosophy and History of Science, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague, Czech Republic
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How and why patterns of sexual dimorphism in human faces vary across the world. Sci Rep 2021; 11:5978. [PMID: 33727579 PMCID: PMC7966798 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85402-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual selection, including mate choice and intrasexual competition, is responsible for the evolution of some of the most elaborated and sexually dimorphic traits in animals. Although there is sexual dimorphism in the shape of human faces, it is not clear whether this is similarly due to mate choice, or whether mate choice affects only part of the facial shape difference between men and women. Here we explore these questions by investigating patterns of both facial shape and facial preference across a diverse set of human populations. We find evidence that human populations vary substantially and unexpectedly in both the magnitude and direction of facial sexually dimorphic traits. In particular, European and South American populations display larger levels of facial sexual dimorphism than African populations. Neither cross-cultural differences in facial shape variation, sex differences in body height, nor differing preferences for facial femininity and masculinity across countries, explain the observed patterns of facial dimorphism. Altogether, the association between sexual shape dimorphism and attractiveness is moderate for women and weak (or absent) for men. Analysis that distinguishes between allometric and non-allometric components reveals that non-allometric facial dimorphism is preferred in women's faces but not in faces of men. This might be due to different regimes of ongoing sexual selection acting on men, such as stronger intersexual selection for body height and more intense intrasexual physical competition, compared with women.
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Infection threat shapes our social instincts. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021; 75:47. [PMID: 33583997 PMCID: PMC7873116 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-02975-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
We social animals must balance the need to avoid infections with the need to interact with conspecifics. To that end we have evolved, alongside our physiological immune system, a suite of behaviors devised to deal with potentially contagious individuals. Focusing mostly on humans, the current review describes the design and biological innards of this behavioral immune system, laying out how infection threat shapes sociality and sociality shapes infection threat. The paper shows how the danger of contagion is detected and posted to the brain; how it affects individuals’ mate choice and sex life; why it strengthens ties within groups but severs those between them, leading to hostility toward anyone who looks, smells, or behaves unusually; and how it permeates the foundation of our moral and political views. This system was already in place when agriculture and animal domestication set off a massive increase in our population density, personal connections, and interaction with other species, amplifying enormously the spread of disease. Alas, pandemics such as COVID-19 not only are a disaster for public health, but, by rousing millions of behavioral immune systems, could prove a threat to harmonious cohabitation too.
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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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Women’s Preferences for Sexual Dimorphism in Faces: Data from a Sample of Arab Women. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s40806-020-00244-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Many previous studies have investigated the effects of manipulating sexually dimorphic shape characteristics in face images on attractiveness judgments. However, results have been mixed and show considerable cross-cultural variability, particularly for women’s judgments of men’s facial attractiveness. Because very little research has investigated face preferences in Arab samples, we assessed Arab women’s preferences for sexually dimorphic face shapes (study 1) and the effect of sexually dimorphic face shapes on Arab women’s dominance perceptions (study 2). Analyses showed that Arab women preferred feminized versions of both women’s and men’s faces over masculinized versions (study 1, N = 272) and that masculinizing face shape had a positive effect on Arab women’s perceptions of the dominance of men, but not women (study 2, N = 270). These image manipulations did not have a significant effect on perceptions of trustworthiness, however (study 3, N = 434). Collectively, these results suggest that Arab women prefer relatively feminine face shapes in potential mates that they perceive as being low dominance. We discuss some directions for future research on the ultimate function of Arab women’s preferences for sexual dimorphism in faces
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Fear of Violence among Colombian Women Is Associated with Reduced Preferences for High-BMI Men. HUMAN NATURE-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE 2019; 30:341-369. [PMID: 31368014 PMCID: PMC6698270 DOI: 10.1007/s12110-019-09350-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies reveal that violence significantly contributes to explaining individual’s facial preferences. Women who feel at higher risk of violence prefer less-masculine male faces. Given the importance of violence, we explore its influence on people’s preferences for a different physical trait. Masculinity correlates positively with male strength and weight or body mass index (BMI). In fact, masculinity and BMI tend to load on the same component of trait perception. Therefore we predicted that individuals’ perceptions of danger from violence will relate to preferences for facial cues to low-BMI. In two studies in Colombia, men and women from Bogota, Medellin, and surrounding communities were shown pairs of faces transformed to epitomize the shape correlates of men with high or low-BMI. The images were of European, Salvadoran, or Colombian men. Participants were asked to choose the face they considered most attractive. Subsequently, participants answered a survey about their health (e.g., frequency of illnesses the past year), media access (e.g., frequency of Internet use), education level (e.g., graduating from high school), and experiences/perceptions of violence in study 1 and about specific types of violence (public and domestic) in study 2. Results from both studies showed that women who experienced/perceived higher levels of violence preferred faces of low-BMI Salvadoran men. Preferences for low-BMI facial cues were significantly explained by violence (public or domestic), even after controlling for all other variables (including age, education, health, and media access). These results may reflect women’s strategy to avoid male partners capable of inflicting harm.
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11
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Ackerman JM, Hill SE, Murray DR. The behavioral immune system: Current concerns and future directions. SOCIAL AND PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY COMPASS 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/spc3.12371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Sawada N, Auger E, Lydon JE. Activation of the Behavioral Immune System: Putting the Brakes on Affiliation. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2017; 44:224-237. [PMID: 29020867 DOI: 10.1177/0146167217736046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Evolutionary psychologists propose that humans evolved a first line of defense against pathogens: the behavioral immune system (BIS). The BIS is thought to be functionally flexible such that the likelihood and magnitude of BIS activation depends on the individual's perceived vulnerability to disease (PVD). Because conspecifics are sources of infection, the BIS has implications for affiliation. By priming and measuring chronic levels of PVD, we examined PVD's relation to affiliation in zero-acquaintance situations in the laboratory, online, and during speed-dating events. Elevated BIS activation was associated with decreased attraction and affiliative behavior in situations that varied in the trade-off between social reward and potential risk of infection. These results were not due to attachment style, personality traits, or disgust sensitivity. This suggests that in social interactions, approach motivation associated with the need to belong may be weighed against avoidance motivation associated with the need to protect the self from disease.
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13
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Holzleitner IJ, Perrett DI. Women’s Preferences for Men’s Facial Masculinity: Trade-Off Accounts Revisited. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-017-0070-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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14
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Dixson BJW, Little AC, Dixson HGW, Brooks RC. Do prevailing environmental factors influence human preferences for facial morphology? Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
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Borras-Guevara ML, Batres C, Perrett DI. Aggressor or protector? Experiences and perceptions of violence predict preferences for masculinity. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2017.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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16
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Danel DP, Siennicka AE, Fedurek P, Frackowiak T, Sorokowski P, Jankowska EA, Pawlowski B. Men With a Terminal Illness Relax Their Criteria for Facial Attractiveness. Am J Mens Health 2017. [PMID: 28625113 PMCID: PMC5675349 DOI: 10.1177/1557988317692504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
According to the life history paradigm, in life-threatening conditions, sexual selection criteria are relaxed in order to increase the probability of a last resort reproduction, ultimately contributing to reproductive success. This should be reflected in loosened mating preferences — a process observed in nonhuman animals. Studies investigating this aspect in humans, however, are scarce. This study explored the aesthetic preferences towards facial and nonfacial stimuli in terminally ill patients with heart failure (HF) and their healthy, same-sex peers. The aim was to examine if these two groups of men demonstrate different patterns of aesthetic judgments. Using a 7-point scale, 65 male patients with HF and 143 healthy men evaluated the perceived attractiveness of 15 photographs (five adult male faces, five adult female faces, and five nonfacial pictures). A mixed-design analysis of variance was run to assess group differences in aesthetic preferences. Compared to healthy controls, stimuli. HF patients rated the pictures using significantly higher scores, but this applied only to male and female, but not nonfacial, stimuli. We propose that lower criteria for facial attractiveness in HF patients are linked to relaxation of mate preferences as a result of a life-threatening conditions, and that this process can be an adaptive mating strategy from an ultimate, evolutionary perspective. However, other mechanisms (e.g., seeking social support) may be also responsible for the observed patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dariusz P Danel
- 1 Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, PAS, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Agnieszka E Siennicka
- 2 Wrocław Medical University, Wrocław, Poland.,3 Clinical Military Hospital, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Pawel Fedurek
- 4 Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | | | - Ewa A Jankowska
- 1 Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, PAS, Wrocław, Poland.,2 Wrocław Medical University, Wrocław, Poland.,3 Clinical Military Hospital, Wrocław, Poland
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Zheng L, Zhang J, Zheng Y. Relationships between pathogen disgust sensitivity and preference for male facial masculinity in gay men in China. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2015.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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19
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Murray DR, Schaller M. The Behavioral Immune System. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.aesp.2015.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
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Nedelec JL, Beaver KM. Physical attractiveness as a phenotypic marker of health: an assessment using a nationally representative sample of American adults. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2014.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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21
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Batres C, Perrett DI. The influence of the digital divide on face preferences in El Salvador: people without internet access prefer more feminine men, more masculine women, and women with higher adiposity. PLoS One 2014; 9:e100966. [PMID: 25006801 PMCID: PMC4089996 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0100966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2014] [Accepted: 05/31/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies on face preferences have found that online and laboratory experiments yield similar results with samples from developed countries, where the majority of the population has internet access. No study has yet explored whether the same holds true in developing countries, where the majority of the population does not have internet access. This gap in the literature has become increasingly important given that several online studies are now using cross-country comparisons. We therefore sought to determine if an online sample is representative of the population in the developing country of El Salvador. In studies of Hispanic men and women aged 18-25, we tested facial masculinity and adiposity preferences by collecting data in person as well as online. Our results showed that there were no differences in preferences between people who reported having internet access, whether they were tested online or in person. This provides evidence that testing style does not bias preferences among the same population. On the other hand, our results showed multiple differences in preferences between people who reported having internet access and people who reported not having internet access. More specifically, we found that people without internet access preferred more feminine men, more masculine women, and women with higher adiposity than people with internet access. We also found that people without internet access had fewer resources (e.g. running water) than people with internet access, suggesting that harshness in the environment may be influencing face preferences. These findings suggest that online studies may provide a distorted perspective of the populations in developing countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlota Batres
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - David I. Perrett
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, United Kingdom
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22
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de Barra M, Islam MS, Curtis V. Disgust sensitivity is not associated with health in a rural Bangladeshi sample. PLoS One 2014; 9:e100444. [PMID: 24977418 PMCID: PMC4076222 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0100444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2013] [Accepted: 05/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Disgust can be considered a psychological arm of the immune system that acts to prevent exposure to infectious agents. High disgust sensitivity is associated with greater behavioral avoidance of disease vectors and thus may reduce infection risk. A cross-sectional survey in rural Bangladesh provided no strong support for this hypothesis. In many species, the expression of pathogen- and predator-avoidance mechanisms is contingent on early life exposure to predators and pathogens. Using childhood health data collected in the 1990s, we examined if adults with more infectious diseases in childhood showed greater adult disgust sensitivity: no support for this association was found. Explanations for these null finding and possible directions for future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mícheál de Barra
- Environmental Health Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Val Curtis
- Environmental Health Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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Marcinkowska UM, Kozlov MV, Cai H, Contreras-Garduño J, Dixson BJ, Oana GA, Kaminski G, Li NP, Lyons MT, Onyishi IE, Prasai K, Pazhoohi F, Prokop P, Rosales Cardozo SL, Sydney N, Yong JC, Rantala MJ. Cross-cultural variation in men's preference for sexual dimorphism in women's faces. Biol Lett 2014; 10:20130850. [PMID: 24789138 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2013.0850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Both attractiveness judgements and mate preferences vary considerably cross-culturally. We investigated whether men's preference for femininity in women's faces varies between 28 countries with diverse health conditions by analysing responses of 1972 heterosexual participants. Although men in all countries preferred feminized over masculinized female faces, we found substantial differences between countries in the magnitude of men's preferences. Using an average femininity preference for each country, we found men's facial femininity preferences correlated positively with the health of the nation, which explained 50.4% of the variation among countries. The weakest preferences for femininity were found in Nepal and strongest in Japan. As high femininity in women is associated with lower success in competition for resources and lower dominance, it is possible that in harsher environments, men prefer cues to resource holding potential over high fecundity.
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Agreement and Individual Differences in Men’s Preferences for Women’s Facial Characteristics. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-0314-6_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2023] Open
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