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Moroń M, Jach Ł, Jonason PK. Motivations to Enhance One's Facial Hair: Affiliation, Rivalry, and Stress. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2024; 53:3229-3237. [PMID: 38886250 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-024-02919-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Facial hair is a sexually dimorphic trait with potential evolutionary and sociocultural functions. Bearded men are perceived as dominant, aggressive, and masculine, but also as having better parenting skills. Men may intentionally manage the amount and shape of their facial hair as a part of their self-promotion strategy; however, facial hair management entails costs in terms of time, effort, and money. We explored psychological factors associated with facial hair enhancement motivation among men. A total of 414 men (aged 18-40 years) reported the current amount of their facial hair along with their facial hair enhancement motivations, gender role stress, intrasexual competitiveness, and fundamental social motives. Willingness to care for facial hair was associated with the amount of facial hair men claimed to have and correlated with the fundamental social motives of affiliation and social status, intrasexual competition, and gender role stress. Therefore, facial hair enhancement may be regarded as a self-presentation strategy aimed at acquiring a beneficial position in social networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcin Moroń
- Institute of Psychology, University of Silesia in Katowice, Grażyńskiego Street 53, 40-126, Katowice, Poland
| | - Łukasz Jach
- Institute of Psychology, University of Silesia in Katowice, Grażyńskiego Street 53, 40-126, Katowice, Poland.
| | - Peter K Jonason
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Cross-Cultural Psychology Centre, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University, Warsaw, Poland
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Jach Ł, Moroń M, Jonason PK. Men's Facial Hair Preferences Reflect Facial Hair Impression Management Functions Across Contexts and Men Know It. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2023; 52:2465-2473. [PMID: 37067629 PMCID: PMC10501953 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02595-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Men with distinct facial hair are perceived as more aggressive, dominant, older, and more formidable, mostly by other men. However, despite considerable interest in the social perception of beardedness, only a few studies have explored men's preferences toward facial hair. We investigated men's preferences toward facial hair and whether their judgments of facial hair appropriateness in social situations depended on their actual beardedness and the type of social interaction (N = 509; age: M = 29.35, SD = 7.24). Men preferred having more facial hair, particularly when they have a heavy stubble or a full beard. Men preferred more facial hair for themselves compared to other men, suggesting that men's preferences for facial hair could be based on the frequency-dependent value of a display, namely more value assigned to rarer attributes. Men's judgments of the appropriateness of facial hair were sensitive to social situations for displaying facial hair as well. More facial hair was considered more appropriate for informal situations, especially with another man. Social norms associated with formal interaction could, therefore, limit the impression management functions of beards in intrasexual competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Łukasz Jach
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, Grażyńskiego Street 53, 40-126, Katowice, Poland.
| | - Marcin Moroń
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, Grażyńskiego Street 53, 40-126, Katowice, Poland
| | - Peter K Jonason
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Cross-Cultural Psychology Centre, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University, Warsaw, Poland
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3
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Lee AJ, McGuire NKJ. Women's Preferences for Masculinity in Male Faces Are Predicted by Material Scarcity, But Not Time or Psychological Scarcity. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2023; 21:14747049231175073. [PMID: 37735893 PMCID: PMC10517608 DOI: 10.1177/14747049231175073] [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: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Facial femininity in men is purportedly used as a cue by women as a signal of parental quality and willingness to provide resources. Accordingly, in contexts where choosing a partner that will provide resources is more beneficial (e.g., when resources are scarce), women have shown an increase preference for facial femininity in male faces. However, domains of scarcity often covary, and it is, therefore, unclear whether these contextual shifts in facial masculinity/femininity preferences are specific to material scarcity (as implied by previous theory), or due to an unrelated domain of scarcity (e.g., time or psychological scarcity). Here, a sample of 823 women completed the Perceived Scarcity Scale, which measures three separate domains of scarcity: material scarcity, time scarcity, and psychological scarcity. Participants also rated the attractiveness of 42 male faces, which were measured on objective sexual dimorphism and perceived masculinity. Consistent with theory, material scarcity, and not time or psychological scarcity, was associated with a decreased preference for objective sexual dimorphism (i.e., an increased preference for facial femininity). This study provides evidence that women use sexual dimorphism as a cue to material resource provisioning potential when assessing men as a mate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony J. Lee
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Division of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland
| | - Nikita K. J. McGuire
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Division of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland
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Varella MAC, Salmon C, Dixson BJW, Butovskaya M, Pinto A, Pawlowski B, Weisfeld CC, Valentova JV. Editorial: A 150 years' celebration of Darwin's book on human evolution and sexual selection: its legacy and future prospects. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1217889. [PMID: 37346415 PMCID: PMC10281671 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1217889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Catherine Salmon
- Department of Psychology, Director Human-Animal Studies, University of Redlands, Redlands, CA, United States
| | | | - Marina Butovskaya
- Department of Cross-Cultural Psychology and Human Ethology, Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology (RAS), Moscow, Russia
| | - Anabela Pinto
- Wolfson College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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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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Tybur JM, Fan L, Jones BC, Holzleitner IJ, Lee AJ, DeBruine LM. Re-evaluating the relationship between pathogen avoidance and preferences for facial symmetry and sexual dimorphism: A registered report. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2022.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Davis AC, Arnocky S. An Evolutionary Perspective on Appearance Enhancement Behavior. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:3-37. [PMID: 33025291 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-020-01745-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Researchers have highlighted numerous sociocultural factors that have been shown to underpin human appearance enhancement practices, including the influence of peers, family, the media, and sexual objectification. Fewer scholars have approached appearance enhancement from an evolutionary perspective or considered how sociocultural factors interact with evolved psychology to produce appearance enhancement behavior. Following others, we argue that evidence from the field of evolutionary psychology can complement existing sociocultural models by yielding unique insight into the historical and cross-cultural ubiquity of competition over aspects of physical appearance to embody what is desired by potential mates. An evolutionary lens can help to make sense of reliable sex and individual differences that impact appearance enhancement, as well as the context-dependent nature of putative adaptations that function to increase physical attractiveness. In the current review, appearance enhancement is described as a self-promotion strategy used to enhance reproductive success by rendering oneself more attractive than rivals to mates, thereby increasing one's mate value. The varied ways in which humans enhance their appearance are described, as well as the divergent tactics used by women and men to augment their appearance, which correspond to the preferences of opposite-sex mates in a heterosexual context. Evolutionarily relevant individual differences and contextual factors that vary predictably with appearance enhancement behavior are also discussed. The complementarity of sociocultural and evolutionary perspectives is emphasized and recommended avenues for future interdisciplinary research are provided for scholars interested in studying appearance enhancement behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam C Davis
- Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Steven Arnocky
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, North Bay, ON, P1B 8L7, Canada.
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Dixson BJW. Sexual Selection and the Evolution of Human Appearance Enhancements. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:49-55. [PMID: 33721143 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-021-01946-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Barnaby J W Dixson
- School of Health and Behavioural Sciences, University of the Sunshine Coast, Petrie, QLD, Australia.
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
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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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Beards Increase the Speed, Accuracy, and Explicit Judgments of Facial Threat. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-021-00169-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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11
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Pazhoohi F, Pazhouhi S, Kingstone A. Concern About Contracting COVID-19 Predicts Men's Preference for Female Facial Femininity, But Not Women's Preference for Male Facial Masculinity. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 7:17-27. [PMID: 33425662 PMCID: PMC7785912 DOI: 10.1007/s40750-020-00158-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2020] [Revised: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Objectives Humans have evolved a behavioral system that responds to perceptual cues suggesting the existence of a pathogenic threat in other individuals and the environment. While previous investigations have reported that individuals’ sexual preferences are influenced by a pathogen threat, the empirical support for face preference is mixed (i.e., the association of pathogenic threat and individuals’ preferences for masculine and/or feminine faces is equivocal). The COVID-19 pandemic provides the opportunity to investigate the association of pathogenic threat and men’s and women’s preferences for sexual dimorphism of faces in the opposite sex in a real-world pathogenic situation. Methods Data were collected during COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020) from men and women in the United States, and women in Iran, on preferences for masculinity in men’s faces using women participants, and femininity in women’s faces using men. Results Results showed that concern about an actual pathogenic threat (i.e., contracting COVID-19) predicts men’s preference for female facial femininity, but not women’s preference for male facial masculinity (for both U.S. and Iranian women). Conclusion By using an actual pathogenic threat, our results support previous findings that men’s preferences for female faces are shifted to less feminine faces under pathogenic threat. Moreover, our results provide support for the distinction between the behavioral immune system and pathogen disgust, at least for men’s preference for feminine female faces. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40750-020-00158-w.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farid Pazhoohi
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4 Canada
| | - Sepide Pazhouhi
- Department of Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Alan Kingstone
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4 Canada
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12
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Garza R, Pazhoohi F, Byrd-Craven J. Does Ecological Harshness Influence Men’s Perceptions of Women’s Breast Size, Ptosis, and Intermammary Distance? EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s40806-020-00262-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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13
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Dixson BJW, Lee AJ. Cross-Cultural Variation in Men’s Beardedness. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-020-00150-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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14
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Environmental threat influences preferences for sexual dimorphism in male and female faces but not voices or dances. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2020.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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15
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Introduction to the Special Edition: Intra-Sexual Selection and the Evolution of Male Facial Threat and Dominance Displays. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-020-00142-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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16
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Pazhoohi F, Kingstone A. Parasite Prevalence and Income Inequality Positively Predict Beardedness Across 25 Countries. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-020-00132-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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17
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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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Sexual Selection, Signaling and Facial Hair: US and India Ratings of Variable Male Facial Hair. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-020-00134-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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19
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Multivariate Intra-Sexual Selection on Men’s Perceptions of Male Facial Morphology. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-020-00128-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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20
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Clarkson TR, Sidari MJ, Sains R, Alexander M, Harrison M, Mefodeva V, Pearson S, Lee AJ, Dixson BJW. A multivariate analysis of women's mating strategies and sexual selection on men's facial morphology. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:191209. [PMID: 32218951 PMCID: PMC7029899 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.191209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The strength and direction of sexual selection via female choice on masculine facial traits in men is a paradox in human mate choice research. While masculinity may communicate benefits to women and offspring directly (i.e. resources) or indirectly (i.e. health), masculine men may be costly as long-term partners owing to lower paternal investment. Mating strategy theory suggests women's preferences for masculine traits are strongest when the costs associated with masculinity are reduced. This study takes a multivariate approach to testing whether women's mate preferences are context-dependent. Women (n = 919) rated attractiveness when considering long-term and short-term relationships for male faces varying in beardedness (clean-shaven and full beards) and facial masculinity (30% and 60% feminized, unmanipulated, 30% and 60% masculinized). Participants then completed scales measuring pathogen, sexual and moral disgust, disgust towards ectoparasites, reproductive ambition, self-perceived mate value and the facial hair in partners and fathers. In contrast to past research, we found no associations between pathogen disgust, self-perceived mate value or reproductive ambition and facial masculinity preferences. However, we found a significant positive association between moral disgust and preferences for masculine faces and bearded faces. Preferences for beards were lower among women with higher ectoparasite disgust, providing evidence for ectoparasite avoidance hypothesis. However, women reporting higher pathogen disgust gave higher attractiveness ratings for bearded faces than women reporting lower pathogen disgust, providing support for parasite-stress theories of sexual selection and mate choice. Preferences for beards were also highest among single and married women with the strongest reproductive ambition. Overall, our results reflect mixed associations between individual differences in mating strategies and women's mate preferences for masculine facial traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa R. Clarkson
- School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Morgan J. Sidari
- School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Rosanna Sains
- School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Meredith Alexander
- School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Melissa Harrison
- School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Valeriya Mefodeva
- School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Samuel Pearson
- School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Anthony J. Lee
- Division of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, UK
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22
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Relationships between disgust sensitivity and trait preferences in gay men in China. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2019.03.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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23
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Dixson BJW, Kennedy-Costantini S, Lee AJ, Nelson NL. Mothers are sensitive to men's beards as a potential cue of paternal investment. Horm Behav 2019; 113:55-66. [PMID: 30978339 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Mating strategy theories assert that women's preferences for androgen dependent traits in men are stronger when the costs of reduced paternal investment are lowest. Past research has shown that preferences for facial masculinity are stronger among nulliparous and non-pregnant women than pregnant or parous women. In two studies, we examine patterns in women's preferences for men's facial hair - likely the most visually conspicuous and sexually dimorphic of men's secondary sexual traits - when evaluating men's masculinity, dominance, age, fathering, and attractiveness. Two studies were conducted among heterosexual pregnant women, mothers, non-contractive and contraceptive users. Study 1 used a between-subjects sample (N = 2103) and found that mothers had significantly higher preferences for beards when judging fathering than all other women. Pregnant women and mothers also judged beards as more masculine and older, but less attractive, than non-contractive and contraceptive users. Parous women judged beards higher for age, masculinity and fathering, but lower for attractiveness, than nulliparous women. Irrespective of reproductive status, beards were judged as looking more dominant than clean-shaven faces. Study 2 used a within-subjects design (N = 53) among women surveyed during pregnancy and three months post-partum. Judgments of parenting skills were higher for bearded stimuli during pregnancy among women having their first baby, whereas among parous women parenting skills judgments for bearded stimuli were higher post-partum. Our results suggest that mothers are sensitive to beardedness as a masculine secondary sexual characteristic that may denote parental investment, providing evidence that women's mate preferences could reflect sexual selection for direct benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barnaby J W Dixson
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane 4072, QLD, Australia.
| | | | | | - Nicole L Nelson
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane 4072, QLD, Australia
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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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25
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Cross-Cultural Variation in women’s Preferences for men’s Body Hair. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-019-0107-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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26
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27
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Culpepper PD, Havlíček J, Leongómez JD, Roberts SC. Visually Activating Pathogen Disgust: A New Instrument for Studying the Behavioral Immune System. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1397. [PMID: 30135669 PMCID: PMC6092612 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The emotion of disgust plays a key role in the behavioral immune system, a set of disease-avoidance processes constituting a frontline defense against pathogenic threats. In the context of growing research interest in disgust, as well as recognition of its role in several psychiatric disorders, there is need for an improved understanding of behavioral triggers of disgust and for adequate techniques to both induce disgust in experimental settings and to measure individual variability in disgust sensitivity. In this study, we sought to address these issues using a multi-stage, bottom-up approach that aimed first to determine the most widespread and effective elicitors of disgust across several cultures. Based on exploratory factor analysis of these triggers, revealing four main components of pathogen-related disgust, we then generated a novel visual stimulus set of 20 images depicting scenes of highly salient pathogen risk, along with paired control images that are visually comparable but lack the disgust trigger. We present a series of validation analyses comparing our new stimulus set (the Culpepper Disgust Image Set, C-DIS) with the most commonly used pre-existing set, a series of 7 images devised by Curtis et al. (2004). Disgust scores from participants who rated the two image sets were positively correlated, indicating cross-test concordance, but results also showed that our pathogen-salient images elicited higher levels of disgust and our control images elicited lower levels of disgust. These findings suggest that the novel image set is a useful and effective tool for use in future research, both in terms of priming disgust and for measuring individual differences in disgust sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paxton D Culpepper
- Division of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom
| | - Jan Havlíček
- Department of Zoology, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | | | - S Craig Roberts
- Division of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom
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28
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Dixson BJW, Blake KR, Denson TF, Gooda-Vossos A, O'Dean SM, Sulikowski D, Rantala MJ, Brooks RC. The role of mating context and fecundability in women's preferences for men's facial masculinity and beardedness. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 93:90-102. [PMID: 29705577 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Revised: 03/06/2018] [Accepted: 04/09/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
The ovulatory shift hypothesis proposes that women's preferences for masculine physical and behavioral traits are greater at the peri-ovulatory period than at other points of the menstrual cycle. However, many previous studies used self-reported menstrual cycle data to estimate fecundability rather than confirming the peri-ovulatory phase hormonally. Here we report two studies and three analyses revisiting the ovulatory shift hypothesis with respect to both facial masculinity and beardedness. In Study 1, a large sample of female participants (N = 2,161) self-reported their cycle phase and provided ratings for faces varying in beardedness (clean-shaven, light stubble, heavy stubble, full beards) and masculinity (-50%, -25%, natural, +25% and +50%) in a between-subjects design. In Study 2, 68 women provided the same ratings data, in a within-subjects design in which fertility was confirmed via luteinising hormone (LH) tests and analysed categorically. In Study 2, we also measured salivary estradiol (E) and progesterone (P) at the low and high fertility phases of the menstrual cycle among 36 of these women and tested whether shifts in E, P or E:P ratios predicted face preferences. Preferences for facial masculinity and beardedness did not vary as predicted with fecundability in Study 1, or with respect to fertility as confirmed via LH in Study 2. However, consistent with the ovulatory shift hypothesis, increasing E (associated with cyclical increases in fecundability) predicted increases in preferences for relatively more masculine faces; while high P (associated with cyclical decreases in fecundability) predicted increases in preferences for relatively more feminine faces. We also found an interaction between E and preferences for facial masculinity and beardedness, such that stubble was more attractive on un-manipulated than more masculine faces among women with high E. We consider discrepancies between our findings and those of other recent studies and suggest that closer scrutiny of the stimuli used to measure masculinity preferences across studies may help account for the many conflicting findings that have recently appeared regarding cycle phase preference shifts for facial masculinity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barnaby J W Dixson
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Khandis R Blake
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Kensington, Sydney 2052 NSW, Australia
| | | | - Amany Gooda-Vossos
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Kensington, Sydney 2052 NSW, Australia
| | | | | | - Markus J Rantala
- Turku Brain and Mind Center, Section of Department of Biology, FI-20014, University of Turku, Finland
| | - Robert C Brooks
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Kensington, Sydney 2052 NSW, Australia
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Dixson BJW, Lee AJ, Blake KR, Jasienska G, Marcinkowska UM. Women's preferences for men's beards show no relation to their ovarian cycle phase and sex hormone levels. Horm Behav 2018; 97:137-144. [PMID: 29129624 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Revised: 10/10/2017] [Accepted: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
According to the ovulatory shift hypothesis, women's mate preferences for male morphology indicative of competitive ability, social dominance, and/or underlying health are strongest at the peri-ovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle. However, recent meta-analyses are divided on the robustness of such effects and the validity of the often-used indirect estimates of fertility and ovulation has been called into question in methodological studies. In the current study, we test whether women's preferences for men's beardedness, a cue of male sexual maturity, androgenic development and social dominance, are stronger at the peri-ovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle compared to during the early follicular or the luteal phase. We also tested whether levels of estradiol, progesterone, and the estradiol to progesterone ratio at each phase were associated with facial hair preferences. Fifty-two heterosexual women completed a two-alternative forced choice preference test for clean-shaven and bearded male faces during the follicular, peri-ovulatory (validated by the surge in luteinizing hormone or the drop in estradiol levels) and luteal phases. Participants also provided for one entire menstrual cycle daily saliva samples for subsequent assaying of estradiol and progesterone. Results showed an overall preference for bearded over clean-shaven faces at each phase of the menstrual cycle. However, preferences for facial hair were not significantly different over the phases of menstrual cycle and were not significantly associated with levels of reproductive hormones. We conclude that women's preferences for men's beardedness may not be related to changes in their likelihood of conception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barnaby J W Dixson
- School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Anthony J Lee
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK
| | - Khandis R Blake
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Sydney, Australia
| | - Grazyna Jasienska
- Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
| | - Urszula M Marcinkowska
- Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
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