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The Femme Fatale Effect: Attractiveness is a Liability for Businesswomen’s Perceived Truthfulness, Trust, and Deservingness of Termination. SEX ROLES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s11199-019-01031-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Abstract
Evolved mate preferences comprise a central causal process in Darwin's theory of sexual selection. Their powerful influences have been documented in all sexually reproducing species, including in sexual strategies in humans. This article reviews the science of human mate preferences and their myriad behavioral manifestations. We discuss sex differences and sex similarities in human sexual psychology, which vary according to short-term and long-term mating contexts. We review context-specific shifts in mating strategy depending on individual, social, and ecological qualities such as mate value, life history strategy, sex ratio, gender economic inequality, and cultural norms. We review the empirical evidence for the impact of mate preferences on actual mating decisions. Mate preferences also dramatically influence tactics of mate attraction, tactics of mate retention, patterns of deception, causes of sexual regret, attraction to cues to sexual exploitability, attraction to cues to fertility, attraction to cues to resources and protection, derogation of competitors, causes of breakups, and patterns of remarriage. We conclude by articulating unresolved issues and offer a future agenda for the science of human mating, including how humans invent novel cultural technologies to better implement ancient sexual strategies and how cultural evolution may be dramatically influencing our evolved mating psychology.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Buss
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712, USA;
| | - David P Schmitt
- Centre for Culture and Evolution, Brunel University London, Middlesex UB8 3PH, United Kingdom;
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Xu Y, Rahman Q, Zheng Y. Gender-Specificity in Viewing Time Among Heterosexual Women. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2017; 46:1361-1374. [PMID: 27511206 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-016-0795-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Revised: 06/03/2016] [Accepted: 06/15/2016] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Measures of sexual interest tend to be more gender-specific in heterosexual men than in heterosexual women. Cognitive measures, such as viewing time to attractive stimuli, may also show similar patterns of gender-specificity or nonspecificity among men and women and thus serve as useful adjuncts to more direct measures of sexual interest. The objectives of the present research were to determine the extent of gender-specificity in women's viewing times for female pictures (varying in their perceived physical attractiveness) and explore the influence of social comparison of physical appearance on these patterns of responses. In Study 1, we recorded only women's viewing times for pictures of both genders, measured self-reported menstrual cycle phase, and manipulated the waist-to-hip ratio of the women in the female pictures. In Study 2, we recorded women's and men's viewing times, self-reported sexual attraction to pictures of males and females, and physical appearance social comparison. Study 1 found that heterosexual women's viewing time toward female pictures was not associated with manipulation of the perceived attractiveness of those pictures. Study 2 found that heterosexual men were more gender-specific than heterosexual women in their viewing time patterns. We also found that reported sexual attraction and physical appearance social comparison were associated with heterosexual women's viewing times for female pictures, while heterosexual men's viewing times were associated with sexual attraction only. Our results are discussed in relation to the utility of viewing time as an indicator of visual attention toward attractive or sexually appealing visual stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Xu
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qazi Rahman
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Yong Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, No. 2 Tiansheng, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715, China.
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Bird BM, Welling LLM, Ortiz TL, Moreau BJP, Hansen S, Emond M, Goldfarb B, Bonin PL, Carré JM. Effects of exogenous testosterone and mating context on men's preferences for female facial femininity. Horm Behav 2016; 85:76-85. [PMID: 27511452 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2016] [Revised: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 08/03/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Correlational research suggests that men show greater attraction to feminine female faces when their testosterone (T) levels are high. Men's preferences for feminine faces also seem to vary as a function of relationship context (short versus long-term). However, the relationship between T and preferences for female facial femininity has yet to be tested experimentally. In the current paper, we report the results of two experiments examining the causal role of T in modulating preferences for facial femininity across both short and long-term mating contexts. Results of Experiment 1 (within-subject design, n=24) showed that participants significantly preferred feminized versus masculinized versions of women's faces. Further, participants showed a stronger preference for feminine faces in the short versus the long-term context after they received T, but not after they received placebo. Post-hoc analyses suggested that this effect was driven by a lower preference for feminine faces in the long-term context when on T relative to placebo, and this effect was found exclusively for men who received placebo on the first day of testing, and T on the second day of testing (i.e., Order x Drug x Mating context interaction). In Experiment 2 (between-subject design, n=93), men demonstrated a significant preference for feminized female faces in the short versus the long-term context after T, but not after placebo administration. Collectively, these findings provide the first causal evidence that T modulates men's preferences for facial femininity as a function of mating context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian M Bird
- Department of Psychology, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lisa L M Welling
- Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, United States
| | - Triana L Ortiz
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, North Bay, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Steve Hansen
- Physical and Health Education, Nipissing University, North Bay, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael Emond
- Department of Psychology, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Pierre L Bonin
- Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
| | - Justin M Carré
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, North Bay, Ontario, Canada.
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Zhuang JY, Wang JX. Women ornament themselves for intrasexual competition near ovulation, but for intersexual attraction in luteal phase. PLoS One 2014; 9:e106407. [PMID: 25180577 PMCID: PMC4152269 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2014] [Accepted: 08/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study examined women's attentional bias toward ornamental objects in relation to their menstrual phase as well as to motivations of intersexual courtship or intrasexual competition. In Experiment 1, 33 healthy heterosexual women were tested in a bias-assessment visual cuing task twice: once on a high-fertility day (during the ovulatory phase) and once on a low-fertility day (during the luteal phase). They paid greater attention to pictures of ornamental objects than to pictures of non-ornamental objects near ovulation, but not during the luteal phase, suggesting an ornamental bias during the high-fertility phase. In Experiment 2, before the visual cuing task, 40 participants viewed 10 same-sex or opposite-sex facial photographs with either high or low attractiveness as priming tasks to activate the intrasexual competition or intersexual courtship motives. Results showed that women's ornamental bias was dependent on the interaction of menstrual phase and mating motive. Specifically, the ornamental bias was observed on the high-fertility day when the subjects were primed with high-attractive same-sex images (intrasexual competition) and was observed on the low-fertility day when they were primed with high-attractive opposite-sex photographs (intersexual courtship). In conclusion, the present findings confirm the hypothesis that, during the high-fertility phase, women have an attentional bias toward ornamental objects and further support the hypothesis that the ornamental bias is driven by intrasexual competition motivation near ovulation, but driven by intersexual courtship motivation during the luteal phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Ying Zhuang
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (MOE & STCSM), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- * E-mail:
| | - Jia-Xi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (MOE & STCSM), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
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Xu F, Wu D, Toriyama R, Ma F, Itakura S, Lee K. Similarities and differences in Chinese and Caucasian adults' use of facial cues for trustworthiness judgments. PLoS One 2012; 7:e34859. [PMID: 22514680 PMCID: PMC3325928 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0034859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2011] [Accepted: 03/07/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background All cultural groups in the world place paramount value on interpersonal trust. Existing research suggests that although accurate judgments of another's trustworthiness require extensive interactions with the person, we often make trustworthiness judgments based on facial cues on the first encounter. However, little is known about what facial cues are used for such judgments and what the bases are on which individuals make their trustworthiness judgments. Methodology/Principal Findings In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that individuals may use facial attractiveness cues as a “shortcut” for judging another's trustworthiness due to the lack of other more informative and in-depth information about trustworthiness. Using data-driven statistical models of 3D Caucasian faces, we compared facial cues used for judging the trustworthiness of Caucasian faces by Caucasian participants who were highly experienced with Caucasian faces, and the facial cues used by Chinese participants who were unfamiliar with Caucasian faces. We found that Chinese and Caucasian participants used similar facial cues to judge trustworthiness. Also, both Chinese and Caucasian participants used almost identical facial cues for judging trustworthiness and attractiveness. Conclusions/Significance The results suggest that without opportunities to interact with another person extensively, we use the less racially specific and more universal attractiveness cues as a “shortcut” for trustworthiness judgments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fen Xu
- Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
- * E-mail: (FX); (DW); (KL)
| | - Dingcheng Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- * E-mail: (FX); (DW); (KL)
| | - Rie Toriyama
- Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Fengling Ma
- Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shoji Itakura
- Department of Psychology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kang Lee
- Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (FX); (DW); (KL)
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Soler C, Kekäläinen J, Núñez M, Sancho M, Núñez J, Yaber I, Gutiérrez R. Male Facial Anthropometry and Attractiveness. Perception 2012; 41:1234-45. [PMID: 23469703 DOI: 10.1068/p7214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The symmetry and masculinity of the face are often considered important elements of male facial attractiveness. However, facial preferences are rarely studied on natural faces. We studied the effect of these traits and facial metric parameters on facial attractiveness in Spanish and Colombian raters. In total, 13 metric and 11 asymmetry parameters from natural, unmanipulated frontal face photographs of 50 Spanish men were measured with the USIA semiautomatic anthropometric software. All raters (women and men) were asked to rank these images as potential long-term partners for females. In both sexes, facial attractiveness was negatively associated with facial masculinity, and preference was not associated with facial symmetry. In Spanish raters, both sexes preferred male traits that were larger in the right side of the face, which may reflect a human tendency to prefer a certain degree of facial asymmetry. We did not find such preference in Colombian raters, but they did show stronger preference for facial femininity than Spanish raters. Present results suggest that facial relative femininity, which is expected to signal, eg good parenting and cooperation skills, may be an important signal of mate quality when females seek long-term partners. Facial symmetry appears unimportant in such long-term mating preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carles Soler
- Department of Functional Biology and Physical Anthropology, University of Valencia, 46100 Burjassot, Spain
| | - Jukka Kekäläinen
- Department of Biology, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland
| | - Manuel Núñez
- Department of Functional Biology and Physical Anthropology, University of Valencia, 46100 Burjassot, Spain
| | - María Sancho
- Department of Functional Biology and Physical Anthropology, University of Valencia, 46100 Burjassot, Spain
| | - Javier Núñez
- Department of Functional Biology and Physical Anthropology, University of Valencia, 46100 Burjassot, Spain
| | - Iván Yaber
- Facultad de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar, Cartagena, Colombia
| | - Ricardo Gutiérrez
- Department of Functional Biology and Physical Anthropology, University of Valencia, 46100 Burjassot, Spain
- Departamento de Química y Biología, División de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla, Colombia
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Puts DA, Barndt JL, Welling LL, Dawood K, Burriss RP. Intrasexual competition among women: Vocal femininity affects perceptions of attractiveness and flirtatiousness. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2010.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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