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Arnocky S, Davis AC. Do lifestyle and hormonal variables explain links between health and facial attractiveness? Front Psychol 2024; 15:1404387. [PMID: 39205978 PMCID: PMC11349710 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1404387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Facial attractiveness has recently been considered an indicator of underlying immunocompetence. However, studies examining this relationship have yielded mixed findings. Previous research suggested that these discrepant findings could be due to the common influence of lifestyle factors upon both rated facial attractiveness and health. Methods Young men (N = 162) provided standardized facial photos with a neutral expression subsequently rated by eight women for overall attractiveness. Saliva was assayed for immunoglobulin A, testosterone (T) and cortisol (C), and body fat was measured using a skinfold caliper. Self-reports of poor health, and lifestyle factors that could influence health status (age, sleep habits, smoking, drinking alcohol, family stress, and exercising) were collected. Results Results showed that symptoms of poor health and skinfold negatively predicted facial attractiveness. There was a modest but statistically non-significant T x C interaction where higher T lower C men trended toward having more attractive faces. A sequential mediation model examining the influence of lifestyle showed support for an indirect effect on facial attractiveness. Specifically, skinfold and poor health symptoms mediated the links between exercise, stress, and facial attractiveness. Discussion These findings suggest links between facial attractiveness and immunocompetence could be linked to some common lifestyle and hormonal variables, but that more comprehensive research involving lifestyle indicators (such as nutrition) are necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Arnocky
- Human Evolution Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, North Bay, ON, Canada
| | - Adam C. Davis
- Department of Social Sciences, Canadore College, North Bay, ON, Canada
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2
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Goździk M, Żelaźniewicz A, Nowak-Kornicka J, Pawłowska-Seredyńska K, Umławska W, Pawłowski B. Autoimmune Hashimoto's Disease and Feminization Level-Testing the Immunocompetence Hypothesis. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2024; 22:14747049241259187. [PMID: 39238450 PMCID: PMC11378202 DOI: 10.1177/14747049241259187] [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] [Indexed: 09/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Morphological femininity depends mainly on estrogen levels at puberty and is perceived as a cue of a woman's biological condition. Due to the immunostimulant properties of estradiol, estradiol-dependent feminine traits are expected to be positively related to immunity. However, heightened immunity in women may increase the risk of autoimmune disease, thus the relationship between femininity and immune quality may be complex. This study aimed to assess the relationship between morphological femininity and both the occurrence and severity of Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) in women of reproductive age. Moreover, 95 women with HT and 84 without HT (all between 20 and 37 years) participated in the study. Morphological femininity was assessed based on somatic measurements of sexually dimorphic traits (2D:4D ratio, WHR, breast size, facial sexual dimorphism). The occurrence and severity of HT were assessed by serum TPOAb levels. The results showed that only the 2D:4D ratio of the right hand was higher in the HT group, indicating higher femininity in these women. However, there was also a positive relationship between facial femininity and TPOAb level in women with HT, indicating a higher severity of the disease. The results suggest that prenatal and pubertal exposure to estrogens may increase the probability or severity of autoimmune diseases in adulthood, but the relationship is tentative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malwina Goździk
- Department of Human Biology, University of Wrocław, Wroclaw, Poland
| | | | | | | | - Wioleta Umławska
- Department of Human Biology, University of Wrocław, Wroclaw, Poland
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3
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Carrito ML, Bismarck F, Bem-Haja P, Perrett DI, Santos IM. When he smiles: Attractiveness preferences for male faces expressing emotions. EVOLUTIONARY HUMAN SCIENCES 2023; 5:e31. [PMID: 38155757 PMCID: PMC10753340 DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2023.28] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The impact of sexual dimorphism on facial attractiveness has been controversial owing to contradictory results, particularly in studies on female preferences. Given that sexually dimorphic facial features, especially more masculine ones, have been previously related to the perception of anger, we investigated the bi-directional influence of emotional expressions and facial masculinity and explored their impact on women's preferences for facial masculinity. We confirmed the effect of facial sexual dimorphism on the perception of emotional cues (happiness and anger) and explored whether smiling or angry expressions influence women's perception of masculinity in male faces. Additionally, we examined women's preferences for emotionally expressive male faces altered along a continuum of masculinity. The results showed that masculinised faces are perceived as angrier, while feminised faces are perceived as happier (Experiment 1), and that angry faces are perceived as more masculine when compared with happy faces (Experiment 2). It is noteworthy that our Experiment 3 uncovered a pivotal finding: women prefer reduced feminisation in happy faces compared with neutral/angry faces. This suggests that the avoidance response observed towards masculinity is attenuated by a smiling expression. The current study introduces a new perspective to be considered when exploring the role of facial masculinity in women's attractiveness preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana L. Carrito
- Centro de Psicologia da Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação da Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Francisca Bismarck
- Centro de Psicologia da Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação da Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Pedro Bem-Haja
- Centro de Investigação em Tecnologias e Serviços de Saúde, Departamento de Educação e Psicologia, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - David I. Perrett
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Isabel M. Santos
- William James Center for Research, Departamento de Educação e Psicologia, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
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4
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Garza R, Byrd-Craven J. Women's Mating Strategies and Mate Value Are Associated with Viewing Time to Facial Masculinity. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2023:10.1007/s10508-023-02621-7. [PMID: 37245165 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02621-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Sexual selection has shaped women's preferences for ideal physical features in men that signal good health. Facial masculinity is often used as a proxy in signaling health, viability, and disease resistance, and it is thought to be attractive because it advertises heritable benefits. Preferences for facial masculinity are also associated with individual differences in one's sociosexuality and mate value, where women oriented toward a short-term mating orientation and are of high mate value may prefer men with masculine features. The current study examined women's sociosexuality and mate value (i.e., self-rating of overall desirability) in rating attractiveness and visual attention to facial masculinity in men's faces using an eye-tracking task. Overall, women (N = 72) did not show any significant preferences for men with masculinized over feminized faces. However, women who scored high on sociosexuality (i.e., unrestricted sociosexuality) and mate value demonstrated increased visual attention and looking frequency to masculinized over feminized faces. The study highlights the unique role of cognitive mechanisms in visually assessing a potential mate and how individual differences in short-term mating strategies and mate value may moderate those preferences. These findings underscore the importance of examining individual differences in mate preferences research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ray Garza
- Department of Psychology and Communication, Texas A&M International University, 5201 University Blvd., Laredo, TX, 78041, USA.
| | - Jennifer Byrd-Craven
- The Oklahoma Center for Evolutionary Analysis (OCEAN), Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
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5
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Articulatory effects on perceptions of men's status and attractiveness. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2647. [PMID: 36788286 PMCID: PMC9929068 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29173-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Research on heterosexual mating has demonstrated that acoustic parameters (e.g., pitch) of men's voices influence their attractiveness to women and appearance of status and formidability to other men. However, little is known about how men's tendency to clearly articulate their speech influences these important social perceptions. In the current study, we used a repeated-measures design to investigate how men's articulatory clarity or conformity influenced women's (N = 45) evaluations of men's attractiveness for both short- and long-term relationships, and men's (N = 46) evaluations of physical formidability and prestige. Results largely supported our hypotheses: men who enunciated phonemes more distinctly were more attractive to women for long-term relationships than short-term relationships and were perceived by other men to have higher prestige than physical dominance. These findings suggest that aspects of articulatory behavior that influence perceptions of prestige and long-term mating attractiveness may indicate an early social history characterized by high socioeconomic status, likely owing to crystallization of articulatory patterns during the critical period of language development. These articulatory patterns may also be honest signals of condition or disposition owing to the nature of complex, multicomponent traits, which deserve further empirical attention.
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6
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Arnocky S, Denomme B, Hodges-Simeon C, Hlay JK, Davis AC, Brennan H. Self-perceived Mate Value is Predicted by Biological and self-reported Indices of Health in Young Adults. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 9:54-71. [PMID: 36686590 PMCID: PMC9838438 DOI: 10.1007/s40750-022-00209-4] [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: 08/20/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Immunocompetence can influence an organism's reproductive fitness, and thus presumably their desirability as a mate (i.e., mate value). In humans, the link between immunocompetence and mate value has found circumstantial support by way of both expressed mate preferences for healthy partners, and via preferences for attractive phenotypes that are ostensibly linked to immune functioning. We examined whether a biological marker of immunocompetence, salivary immunoglobulin A (sIgA), along with self-reported frequency and severity of symptoms of poor health predicted individuals' reported mate value and mating behavior in a sample of 691 young adults. Our measures of immunocompetence (sIgA and symptoms of poor health) correlated significantly with one another, suggesting sIgA is a viable marker of general immune function in young adults. We then examined the independent contributions of these variables to mate value, controlling for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). Results showed that sIgA (positively) and poor health (negatively) predicted mate value, but not lifetime number of sex partners or current romantic relationship status. These findings suggest that those with better health and immune function report being more desirable as mating partners but support past research showing null links to reported mating behavior. Together, these findings suggest that more comprehensive work on links between immunocompetence and mating is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Arnocky
- Nipissing University, 100 College Drive, P1B8L7 North Bay, ON Canada
| | - Brittany Denomme
- Nipissing University, 100 College Drive, P1B8L7 North Bay, ON Canada
| | | | | | - Adam C. Davis
- Nipissing University, 100 College Drive, P1B8L7, North Bay, ON Canada
| | - Hillary Brennan
- Nipissing University, 100 College Drive, P1B8L7 North Bay, ON Canada
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7
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Wu K, Chen C, Yu Z. Handsome or Rugged? : A Speed-Dating Study of Ovulatory Shifts in Women's Preferences for Masculinity in Men. HUMAN NATURE (HAWTHORNE, N.Y.) 2022; 33:380-399. [PMID: 36495427 DOI: 10.1007/s12110-022-09434-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
We tested the good genes ovulatory shift hypothesis through speed-dating, an ecologically valid paradigm with real life consequences. Fifteen speed-dating sessions of 262 single Asian Americans were held. We analyzed 850 speed-dates involving 132 men and 100 normally ovulating women, finding ovulatory shifts in the desirability of men with more masculine facial measurements (smaller eye-mouth-eye angle, larger lower face to full face height ratio, and smaller facial width to lower face height ratio) in the predicted direction. However, there was no support for ovulatory shifts in preferences for men's self-reported height. In addition, the expected shifts were not found for women's second date offers to men. Therefore, with natural stimuli and in a competitive dating scenario, we partially replicated previously documented ovulatory shifts in women's preferences for men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Wu
- Department of Psychology, California State University, 5151 State University Drive, 90032, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Chuansheng Chen
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Zhaoxia Yu
- Department of Statistics, University of California, Irvine, USA
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8
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Sutherland CAM, Young AW. Understanding trait impressions from faces. Br J Psychol 2022; 113:1056-1078. [PMID: 35880691 PMCID: PMC9796653 DOI: 10.1111/bjop.12583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Impressions from faces are made remarkably quickly and they can underpin behaviour in a wide variety of social contexts. Over the last decade many studies have sought to trace the links between facial cues and social perception and behaviour. One such body of work has shown clear overlap between the fields of face perception and social stereotyping by demonstrating a role for conceptual stereotypes in impression formation from faces. We integrate these results involving conceptual influences on impressions with another substantial body of research in visual cognition which demonstrates that much of the variance in impressions can be predicted from perceptual, data-driven models using physical cues in face images. We relate this discussion to the phylogenetic, cultural, individual and developmental origins of facial impressions and define priority research questions for the field including investigating non-WEIRD cultures, tracking the developmental trajectory of impressions and determining the malleability of impression formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare A. M. Sutherland
- School of Psychology, King's CollegeUniversity of AberdeenAberdeenUK,School of Psychological ScienceUniversity of Western AustraliaCrawleyWestern AustraliaAustralia
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Nicolas SCA, Welling LLM. A Preliminary Investigation Into Women’s Sexual Risk-taking That Could Lead to Unintended Pregnancy. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s40806-022-00319-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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10
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Wu Y, Zheng L, Niu C. Androstadienone influences women's perception of happiness and anger on same-sex faces: Preliminary findings. Biol Psychol 2022; 170:108293. [PMID: 35240247 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2022.108293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated whether androstadienone (AND) influences women's emotional perception of potential mates and rivals in a manner that promotes women's reproductive success. Sixty participants (29 in the fertile phase and 31 in the luteal phase) rated their perception of happiness, sadness, anger and sexual arousal from male and female neutral faces during exposure to AND or control solution on two consecutive days. The results showed that AND led women to perceive neutral female faces as unhappier, regardless of their menstrual cycle phase. In addition, AND led women in the fertile phase (i.e., periovulatory phase) to perceive more anger from neutral female faces. Further, no AND-effects were found on the emotional perception of male faces, nor were there perceptions of the sadness or sexual arousal in female faces. These findings may suggest that AND influences women's cognitive processing that can benefit women from staying away from potential threats or preparing to reduce the costs of intrasexual competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Wu
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lijun Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Caoyuan Niu
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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11
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Lidborg LH, Cross CP, Boothroyd LG. A meta-analysis of the association between male dimorphism and fitness outcomes in humans. eLife 2022; 11:e65031. [PMID: 35179485 PMCID: PMC9106334 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans are sexually dimorphic: men and women differ in body build and composition, craniofacial structure, and voice pitch, likely mediated in part by developmental testosterone. Sexual selection hypotheses posit that, ancestrally, more 'masculine' men may have acquired more mates and/or sired more viable offspring. Thus far, however, evidence for either association is unclear. Here, we meta-analyze the relationships between six masculine traits and mating/reproductive outcomes (96 studies, 474 effects, N = 177,044). Voice pitch, height, and testosterone all predicted mating; however, strength/muscularity was the strongest and only consistent predictor of both mating and reproduction. Facial masculinity and digit ratios did not significantly predict either. There was no clear evidence for any effects of masculinity on offspring viability. Our findings support arguments that strength/muscularity may be sexually selected in humans, but cast doubt regarding selection for other forms of masculinity and highlight the need to increase tests of evolutionary hypotheses outside of industrialized populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda H Lidborg
- Department of Psychology, Durham UniversityDurhamUnited Kingdom
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12
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Butovskaya ML, Rostovtseva VV, Mezentseva AA. Facial and body sexual dimorphism are not interconnected in the Maasai. J Physiol Anthropol 2022; 41:3. [PMID: 34996526 PMCID: PMC8740871 DOI: 10.1186/s40101-021-00276-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In this paper, we investigate facial sexual dimorphism and its' association with body dimorphism in Maasai, the traditional seminomadic population of Tanzania. We discuss findings on other human populations and possible factors affecting the developmental processes in Maasai. METHODS Full-face anthropological photographs were obtained from 305 Maasai (185 men, 120 women) aged 17-90 years. Facial shape was assessed combining geometric morphometrics and classical facial indices. Body parameters were measured directly using precise anthropological instruments. RESULTS Sexual dimorphism in Maasai faces was low, sex explained 1.8% of the total shape variance. However, male faces were relatively narrower and vertically prolonged, with slightly wider noses, narrower-set and lower eyebrows, wider mouths, and higher forehead hairline. The most sexually dimorphic regions of the face were the lower jaw and the nose. Facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR), measured in six known variants, revealed no significant sexual dimorphism. The allometric effects on facial traits were mostly related to the face growth, rather than the growth of the whole body (body height). Significant body dimorphism was demonstrated, men being significantly higher, with larger wrist diameter and hand grip strength, and women having higher BMI, hips circumferences, upper arm circumferences, triceps skinfolds. Facial and body sexual dimorphisms were not associated. CONCLUSIONS Facial sex differences in Maasai are very low, while on the contrary, the body sexual dimorphism is high. There were practically no associations between facial and body measures. These findings are interpreted in the light of trade-offs between environmental, cultural, and sexual selection pressures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina L Butovskaya
- Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia.
- The National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, 101000, Russia.
- Russian State University for the Humanities, Moscow, 125047, Russia.
| | - Victoria V Rostovtseva
- Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia
| | - Anna A Mezentseva
- Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119334, Russia
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Jones BC, Holzleitner IJ, Shiramizu V. Does facial attractiveness really signal immunocompetence? Trends Cogn Sci 2021; 25:1018-1020. [PMID: 34625347 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2021.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The dominant theory of facial attractiveness judgments is that they evolved to identify healthy individuals with strong immune systems. Here, we summarize results of recent tests of this hypothesis, concluding that it has little compelling empirical support. We then propose an alternative perspective that emphasizes the effects of lifestyle health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedict C Jones
- School of Psychological Sciences & Health, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK.
| | - Iris J Holzleitner
- Department of Social Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK
| | - Victor Shiramizu
- School of Psychological Sciences & Health, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
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Luoto S, Krama T, Rubika A, Borráz-León JI, Trakimas G, Elferts D, Skrinda I, Krams R, Moore FR, Birbele E, Kaminska I, Contreras-Garduño J, Rantala MJ, Krams IA. Socioeconomic position, immune function, and its physiological markers. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 127:105202. [PMID: 33756285 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The development of costly traits such as immune function and secondary sexual traits is constrained by resource availability. The quality of developmental conditions and the availability of resources in ontogeny may therefore influence immune system functions and other biological traits. We analyzed causal pathways between family socioeconomic position, strength of immune response, and five physiological biomarkers in young Latvian men (n = 93) using structural equation modeling. Men from wealthier families had higher testosterone levels (rs = 0.280), stronger immune response (rs = 0.551), and higher facial attractiveness (rs = 0.300). There were weak, non-significant correlations between family income, body fat percentage (rs = -0.147), and fluctuating asymmetry (rs = -0.159). Testosterone partially (33.8%) mediated the effect of family income on facial masculinity. Testosterone (positively) and adiposity (negatively) partially (4%) mediated the relationship between family income and immune function. Higher facial masculinity, higher facial symmetry, and lower adiposity were reliable and independent cues of better immune function (R2 = 0.238) in a larger sample of young Latvian men (N = 146). Resource availability in ontogeny has an important role for the development of immune function and physical appearance, and it is a key parameter to be included in human eco-immunological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Severi Luoto
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Tatjana Krama
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia; Chair of Plant Health, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia; Department of Biotechnology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, Latvia
| | - Anna Rubika
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, Latvia
| | - Javier I Borráz-León
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Ethology, National Institute of Psychiatry "Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz", Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Giedrius Trakimas
- Institute of Biosciences, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Didzis Elferts
- Department of Botany and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, Rīga, Latvia
| | | | - Ronalds Krams
- Chair of Plant Health, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia; Department of Biotechnology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, Latvia; Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, Latvia
| | - Fhionna R Moore
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Elza Birbele
- Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, Rīga, Latvia
| | - Irena Kaminska
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, Latvia
| | - Jorge Contreras-Garduño
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Mexico
| | - Markus J Rantala
- Department of Biology & Turku Brain and Mind Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Indrikis A Krams
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia; Department of Biotechnology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, Latvia; Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, Rīga, Latvia.
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15
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Albert G, Arnocky S, Puts DA, Hodges-Simeon CR. Can listeners assess men's self-reported health from their voice? EVOL HUM BEHAV 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2020.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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16
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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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Rubika A, Luoto S, Krama T, Trakimas G, Rantala MJ, Moore FR, Skrinda I, Elferts D, Krams R, Contreras-Garduño J, Krams IA. Women's socioeconomic position in ontogeny is associated with improved immune function and lower stress, but not with height. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11517. [PMID: 32661326 PMCID: PMC7359344 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68217-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune function, height and resource accumulation comprise important life history traits in humans. Resource availability models arising from life history theory suggest that socioeconomic conditions influence immune function, growth and health status. In this study, we tested whether there are associations between family income during ontogeny, adult height, cortisol level and immune response in women. A hepatitis B vaccine was administered to 66 young Latvian women from different socioeconomic backgrounds, and blood samples were then collected to measure the level of antibodies that the women produced in response to the vaccination. Cortisol levels were measured from plasma samples pre- and post-vaccination. Women from wealthier families had lower cortisol levels, and women from the highest family income group had the highest levels of antibody titers against hepatitis B vaccine. No significant relationships were observed between cortisol level and immune function, nor between family income and height. The results show that income level during ontogeny is associated with the strength of immune response and with psychoneuroendocrine pathways underlying stress perception in early adulthood. The findings indicate that the quality of the developmental niche is associated with the condition-dependent expression of immune function and stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Rubika
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, 5401, Latvia
| | - Severi Luoto
- English, Drama and Writing Studies, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
| | - Tatjana Krama
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, 51010, Tartu, Estonia
- Chair of Plant Health, Estonian University of Life Sciences, 51014, Tartu, Estonia
- Department of Biotechnology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, 5401, Latvia
| | - Giedrius Trakimas
- Department of Biotechnology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, 5401, Latvia
- Institute of Biosciences, Vilnius University, 10257, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Markus J Rantala
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland
- Turku Brain and Mind Centre, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland
| | - Fhionna R Moore
- College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Ilona Skrinda
- Daugavpils Regional Hospital, Daugavpils, 5417, Latvia
| | - Didzis Elferts
- Department of Botany and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, Rīga, 1004, Latvia
| | - Ronalds Krams
- Chair of Plant Health, Estonian University of Life Sciences, 51014, Tartu, Estonia
- Department of Biotechnology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, 5401, Latvia
| | - Jorge Contreras-Garduño
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 58190, Morelia, Mexico
| | - Indrikis A Krams
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, 51010, Tartu, Estonia.
- Department of Biotechnology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, 5401, Latvia.
- Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, Rīga, 1004, Latvia.
- Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Rīga, 1067, Latvia.
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