Consistency in preferences for masculinity in faces, bodies, voices, and personality characteristics among homosexual men in China

Gender Role Attitudes Influence Vocal Masculine Preferences Among Gay Men in China

Gender role attitudes refer to attitudes toward the appropriate roles, rights, and responsibilities of men and women in society. Evidence indicates that individuals with traditional gender role attitudes tend to prefer mates with sex-typical opposite-sex characteristics in heterosexual men and women. This study examined whether gender role attitudes were associated with vocal masculinity preference in gay men in China. Five hundred and sixty-seven participants aged between 16 and 49 years completed the vocal masculinity preference (voice pitch and vocal tract length; VTLs) and gender role attitudes scale. The results indicated that gay men generally preferred masculine voices (lower voice pitch and longer VTLs) and gender role attitudes were positively correlated with preferences for masculine cues in the voices of men. While individuals indicating an affinity with traditional gender roles exhibited stronger preferences for feminine voices, which were inconsistent with the present hypotheses. The results help us understand the role of traditional gender beliefs in the mate preferences of gay men in China. Furthermore, based on the results, understanding one's gender-role attitudes can help cultivate more diversified criteria for mate selection and facilitate gay men in better choosing suitable mates. Future longitudinal studies should examine the relationship between gender role attitudes and masculine preference changes over time. Whether this relationship differs in the different sexual roles of gay men should also be explored.

Body Image Perceptions and Visualization of Vietnamese Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM)

Research on body image among men who have sex with men (MSM) has predominantly been approached with the assumption that all MSM conform to a culturally preferred body, and have a high risk of body image concerns leading to risky behaviors and negative health outcomes. Scholars have called for a more nuanced understanding of how MSM engage with their body images. In response, we conducted 30 semi-structured interviews with Vietnamese MSM to explore their perceptions and feelings of their bodies, including their current body, idealized body, and sexually desired body. Inductive thematic analysis was utilized. The findings highlight the diversity and complexity in Vietnamese MSM's perceptions and feelings about their bodies, which Western measurements of body image and body dissatisfaction might not fully capture. The participants also acknowledge the pressure of physical appearance; however, they do not always conform to the dominant body ideals and have a high risk of body dissatisfaction. We conclude with a call for reframing the approach to gay and bisexual men's body image to understand better how they navigate complex pressures and make sense of their body image instead of assuming they are at risk of body dissatisfaction.

Motivation, Appearance Focus, and Exclusion on Gay Dating App "Blued" in China: Content and Network Analysis of Textual Self-Presentation

Blued is the most popular gay dating app among Chinese sexual minority men. This study explored the textual self-presentation of the profiles on Blued in terms of motivation, appearance focus, and exclusion. A total of 10,000 profiles were randomly selected from a dataset of 197,516 profiles using an interval sampling method. A total of 230 features were developed, and six themes were extracted from 4,881 profiles based on content analysis. The themes were motivation, personal information, partner preference, partner non-preference, sexual preference, and communication preference. Body and age were the most commonly mentioned self-presentations, followed by attractiveness and masculinity. Self-presentations largely focused on the users' photos are prominent on Blued. Exclusion against those who were "overweight," "elderly," "unattractive," and "effeminate" was common. Network analysis was used to analyze and visualize the co-occurrence of these features. Appearance focus and exclusion features were linked with both "hookup" and "no hookup" motivations. Photo-focused communication was linked to the exclusion of others. "No hookup" motivation was associated with more social motivation (e.g., making friends and chatting) and trait-focused communication (e.g., being polite and permanent). "Hookup" motivation was associated with genital presentations (i.e., "big penis" and "like big penis"). Most self-presentation features of sexual preference were sexual role-specific. The results indicate a widespread focus on appearance and exclusion on Blued, which may negatively affect the mental health of Chinese sexual minority men.

Femme/Butch/Androgyne Identity and Preferences for Femininity Across Face, Voice, and Personality Traits in Chinese Lesbian and Bisexual Women

Studies indicate that individuals preferring masculinity/femininity in one domain also prefer it in other domains. Heterosexual men and women and gay men have reported consistent preferences for masculinity/femininity across the faces and voices of their preferred sex. This study explored the femininity preferences of 417 Chinese lesbian and bisexual women in terms of face, voice pitch, vocal tract length, and personality traits and explored the effect of sexual self-labels (femme, butch, and androgyne) on these preferences. We found that lesbian and bisexual women showed a stronger preference for feminized faces, voice pitch, vocal tract length, and personality traits than masculinized versions, and these preferences were highly consistent across the four domains. Moreover, femininity preference was moderated by sexual self-labels, with butches preferring more feminine voice pitch, vocal tract length, and personality traits than femmes and androgynes. However, no significant difference was found for facial femininity preferences among different sexual self-labels. These findings present evidence of consistent femininity preference across visual, auditory, and personality traits and suggest that, regardless of sexual orientation, multiple cues may be used together when determining the attractiveness of individuals. Furthermore, these results support the hypothesis that the partner preference of lesbian and bisexual women mirrors that of heterosexual men.

Vocal Characteristics Influence Women's Perceptions of Infidelity and Relationship Investment in China

Vocal characteristics are important cues to form social impressions. Previous studies indicated that men with masculine voices are perceived as engaging in higher rates of infidelity and being less committed to their relationship. In the current study, we examined how women in China perceive information regarding infidelity and relationship investment conveyed by the voices (voice pitch and vocal tract length) of males, and whether different vocal characteristics play a similar role in driving these impressions. In addition, we examined whether these perceptions are consistent in Chinese and English language contexts. The results indicated that women perceived men with more masculine voices (lower voice pitch and longer vocal tract length) as showing a lower likelihood of infidelity and higher relationship investment; further, women who preferred more masculine voices in long-term relationships, but not in short-term relationships, were more likely to perceive men with masculine voices as less likely to engage in infidelity and more likely to invest in their relationship. Moreover, the participants formed very similar impressions irrespective of whether the voices spoke native (Chinese) or foreign (English) languages. These results provide new evidence for the role of the voice in women's choices in selecting long-term partners.

Demographic and Geographic Differences in Facial Masculinity Preferences Among Gay and Bisexual Men in China

This study examined demographic and geographic differences in facial masculinity preferences among gay and bisexual men in China. The final sample included 2595 participants whose data were obtained from four published data sets and one unpublished data set. Demographic variables included sexual self-label, sexual orientation, age, educational level, and occupational status. Geographic variables were classified based on the IP addresses of respondents including North-South division, administrative division, economic regional division, and modernization division. There were significant differences in facial masculinity preferences in demographic variables. Gay men preferred more masculinized faces than did bisexual men. "Tops" preferred feminized faces, whereas "bottoms" and "versatiles" preferred masculinized faces. Participants aged 20-29 years preferred more masculinized faces than did those aged 16-19 years and older than 30. Also, the results indicated significant differences in facial masculinity preferences in geographic variables. Participants living in South China preferred more masculinized faces than did those living in North China. Concerning administrative division, individuals living in South China (Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, and Jiangxi) preferred more masculinized faces than did those living in other regions. Participants living in first-tier cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen) preferred more masculinized faces than did those living in other cities. The findings implicated context-dependent variability in facial masculinity preferences among gay and bisexual men; facial trait-attribution processes may contribute to these individual differences.

Masculine Voices Predict Attachment Style and Relationship Communication Patterns in Romantic Relationships

Humans exhibit sexually-based vocal dimorphisms, providing information about peoples' intrinsic states. Studies indicate that voice pitch predicts relationship quality; however, none have explored its effects on relationship maintenance. We explored the association between sexually dimorphic vocal properties [voice pitch, measured by fundamental frequency (F0) and F0 variation, the within-subject SD in F0 across the utterance (F0-SD)], attachment styles, and communication patterns among Chinese heterosexuals in romantic relationships. Men's F0-SD positively correlates with constructive communication pattern and negatively correlates with avoidant attachment style. No significant correlations are found for women. These findings suggest that men with masculine voices are more avoidantly attached, using avoidant communications. Furthermore, they show that voice may play a crucial role in and be an important morphological index of human mating relationships.

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

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.

No evidence that partnered and unpartnered gay men differ in their preferences for male facial masculinity

Women’s preferences for masculine characteristics in men’s faces have been extensively studied. By contrast, little is known about how gay men respond to masculine facial characteristics. One area of disagreement in the emerging literature on this topic is the association between gay men’s partnership status and masculinity preference. One study found that partnered gay men showed stronger preferences for masculine faces than did single gay men, while another study found that partnered gay men showed weaker preferences for masculine faces than did single gay men. We re-examined this issue in a sample of 618 gay men, finding no significant difference between partnered and single gay men’s masculinity preferences. Together with the mixed previous findings, our null result suggests that the effect of partnership status on gay men’s face preferences is not robust.

Facial Attractiveness of Chinese College Students With Different Sexual Orientation and Sex Roles

Facial attractiveness refers to a positive and joyful emotional experience induced by the face of a target person and the extent to which other people are driven to be close to their wishes. Since the 1970s, face attractiveness has gradually emerged in western psychological research, but most of the studies were confined to heterosexuals. More recently, some scholars have pointed out that sexual orientation may affect the judgment of facial attractiveness of individuals. Based on previous literature, this study proposed to explore the different facial attractiveness of individuals with different sexual orientations and sexual roles. Participants in this study were divided into two types (according to sexual orientation and sexual role) by the Sex Role Inventory for College Students (CSRI). Also, the eye-tracking technique was used to record the path of eye movements, where face images were manipulated by sexual dimorphism clues. The results showed that (1) compared to heterosexual men, homosexual men were significantly more likely to choose masculine faces as more attractive faces in paired faces; (2) male homosexuals are likely to have the feminization bias, and female homosexuals are likely to have the masculinization bias; and (3) the masculine faces are more attractive than feminine faces to participants whose sex role is feminine type and androgynous type.

Self-rated Attractiveness and Sociosexual Behavior Predict Gay Men's Preferences for Masculine Cues in Male Voices in China

Theory and some evidence suggest that masculine characteristics (e.g., lower pitched voice) will predict indices of men's long-term health. In a related finding, researchers have demonstrated that the attractiveness of individuals predicts variation in their mate preferences. As self-perceived attractiveness may predict sociosexuality (i.e., the willingness of individuals to engage in restricted or unrestricted sexual relationships), we investigated how self-rated attractiveness and sociosexuality influence preferences regarding male voices among 338 gay men across different cities in China. Each participant was randomly presented with six pairs of male voices and gave preferences using a forced-choice method; each pair of male voices consisted of a masculine (lower pitched) and feminine (higher pitched) version of the same original voice. Our findings suggested that gay men who perceived themselves as more attractive showed stronger preference for lower pitched voices compared with self-perceived less attractive individuals. In addition, we found that gay men's sociosexuality score was positively correlated with their preference for masculine cues in male voices, indicating that gay men who were less sociosexually restricted preferred lower pitched voices over higher pitched versions compared with men who were more restricted. Our study presents evidence contributing to a better understanding of condition-dependent strategies of partner choice in gay men.