Chengyang Han

Women's Preferences For Facial Masculinity Are Not Related To Their Hormonal Status

Although widely cited as strong evidence that sexual selection has shaped human facial attractiveness judgments, evidence that preferences for masculine characteristics in men9s faces are related to women9s hormonal status is equivocal and controversial. Consequently, we conducted the largest ever longitudinal study of women9s preferences for facial masculinity (N=584). Analyses showed no evidence that preferences for facial masculinity were related to changes in women9s salivary steroid hormone levels. Furthermore, both within-subject and between-subject comparisons showed no evidence that oral contraceptive use decreased masculinity preferences. However, women generally preferred masculinized over feminized versions of men9s faces, particularly when assessing men9s attractiveness for short-term, rather than long-term, relationships. Our results do not support the hypothesized link between women9s preferences for facial masculinity and their hormonal status.Although widely cited as strong evidence that sexual selection has shaped human facial attractiveness judgments, evidence that preferences for masculine characteristics in men’s faces are related to women’s hormonal status is equivocal and controversial. Consequently, we conducted the largest ever longitudinal study of the hormonal correlates of women’s preferences for facial masculinity (N=584). Analyses showed no evidence that preferences for facial masculinity were related to changes in women’s salivary steroid hormone levels. Furthermore, both within-subject and between-subject comparisons showed no evidence that oral contraceptive use decreased masculinity preferences. However, women generally preferred masculinized over feminized versions of men’s faces, particularly when assessing men’s attractiveness for short-term, rather than long-term, relationships. Our results do not support the hypothesized link between women’s preferences for facial masculinity and their hormonal status.

No Compelling Evidence that Preferences for Facial Masculinity Track Changes in Women’s Hormonal Status:

Although widely cited as strong evidence that sexual selection has shaped human facial-attractiveness judgments, findings suggesting that women’s preferences for masculine characteristics in men’s faces are related to women’s hormonal status are equivocal and controversial. Consequently, we conducted the largest-ever longitudinal study of the hormonal correlates of women’s preferences for facial masculinity (N = 584). Analyses showed no compelling evidence that preferences for facial masculinity were related to changes in women’s salivary steroid hormone levels. Furthermore, both within-subjects and between-subjects comparisons showed no evidence that oral contraceptive use decreased masculinity preferences. However, women generally preferred masculinized over feminized versions of men’s faces, particularly when assessing men’s attractiveness for short-term, rather than long-term, relationships. Our results do not support the hypothesized link between women’s preferences for facial masculinity and their hormonal status.

Does the Interaction Between Cortisol and Testosterone Predict Men’s Facial Attractiveness?

Although some researchers have suggested that the interaction between cortisol and testosterone predicts ratings of men’s facial attractiveness, evidence for this pattern of results is equivocal. Consequently, the current study tested for a correlation between men’s facial attractiveness and the interaction between their cortisol and testosterone levels. We also tested for corresponding relationships between the interaction between cortisol and testosterone and ratings of men’s facial health and dominance (perceived traits that are correlated with facial attractiveness in men). We found no evidence that ratings of either facial attractiveness or health were correlated with the interaction between cortisol and testosterone. Some analyses suggested that the interaction between cortisol and testosterone levels may predict ratings of men’s facial dominance, however, with testosterone being more closely related to facial dominance ratings among men with higher cortisol. Our results suggest that the relationship between men’s facial attractiveness and the interaction between cortisol and testosterone is not robust.

Women's facial attractiveness is related to their body mass index but not their salivary cortisol

Although many theories of human facial attractiveness propose positive correlations between facial attractiveness and measures of actual health, evidence for such correlations is somewhat mixed. Here we sought to replicate a recent study reporting that womens facial attractiveness is independently related to both their adiposity and cortisol.

Interrelationships Among Men’s Threat Potential, Facial Dominance, and Vocal Dominance

The benefits of minimizing the costs of engaging in violent conflict are thought to have shaped adaptations for the rapid assessment of others’ capacity to inflict physical harm. Although studies have suggested that men’s faces and voices both contain information about their threat potential, one recent study suggested that men’s faces are a more valid cue of their threat potential than their voices are. Consequently, the current study investigated the interrelationships among a composite measure of men’s actual threat potential (derived from the measures of their upper-body strength, height, and weight) and composite measures of these men’s perceived facial and vocal threat potential (derived from dominance, strength, and weight ratings of their faces and voices, respectively). Although men’s perceived facial and vocal threat potential were positively correlated, men’s actual threat potential was related to their perceived facial, but not vocal, threat potential. These results present new evidence that men’s faces may be a more valid cue of these aspects of threat potential than their voices are.

No compelling evidence that more physically attractive young adult women have higher estradiol or progesterone

Putative associations between sex hormones and attractive physical characteristics in women are central to many theories of human physical attractiveness and mate choice. Although such theories have become very influential, evidence that physically attractive and unattractive women have different hormonal profiles is equivocal. Consequently, we investigated hypothesized relationships between salivary estradiol and progesterone and two aspects of womens physical attractiveness that are commonly assumed to be correlated with levels of these hormones: facial attractiveness (N = 249) and waist-to-hip ratio (N = 247). Our analyses revealed no compelling evidence that women with more attractive faces or lower (i.e., more attractive) waist-to-hip ratios had higher levels of estradiol or progesterone. One analysis did suggest that women with more attractive waist-to-hip ratios had significantly higher progesterone, but the relationship was weak and the relationship not significant in other analyses. These results do not support the influential hypothesis that between-women differences in physical attractiveness are related to estradiol and/or progesterone.

No evidence for correlations between handgrip strength and sexually dimorphic acoustic properties of voices

Recent research on the signal value of masculine physical characteristics in men has focused on the possibility that such characteristics are valid cues of physical strength. However, evidence that sexually dimorphic vocal characteristics are correlated with physical strength is equivocal. Consequently, we undertook a further test for possible relationships between physical strength and masculine vocal characteristics.

No evidence that more physically attractive women have higher estradiol or progesterone

Putative associations between sex hormones and attractive physical characteristics in women are central to many theories of human physical attractiveness and mate choice. Although such theories have become very influential, evidence that physically attractive and unattractive women have different hormonal profiles is equivocal. Consequently, we investigated hypothesized relationships between salivary estradiol and progesterone and two aspects of women’s physical attractiveness that are commonly assumed to be correlated with levels of these hormones: facial attractiveness (N=249) and waist-to-hip ratio (N=247). Our analyses revealed no evidence that women with more attractive faces or lower (i.e., more attractive) waist-to-hip ratios had higher levels of estradiol or progesterone. These results do not support the influential hypothesis that between-women differences in physical attractiveness are related to estradiol and/or progesterone.Havlicek et al. (Behavioral Ecology, 26, 1249-1260, 2015) proposed that increased attractiveness of women in hormonal states associated with high fertility is a byproduct (or “perceptual spandrel”) of adaptations related to between-women differences in sex hormones. A critical piece of their argument was the claim that between-women hormone-attractiveness correlations are stronger than corresponding within-woman correlations. We directly tested this claim by collecting multiple face images and saliva samples from 249 women. Within-woman facial attractiveness was highest when current estradiol was high and current progesterone was simultaneously low, as is the case during the high-fertility phase of the menstrual cycle. By contrast, between-women hormone-attractiveness correlations were not significant. Our results do not support Havlicek et al9s “perceptual spandrels” hypothesis of hormone-linked attractiveness in women. Rather, they present new evidence that women9s attractiveness subtly changes with fluctuations in sex hormones.

Within-Woman Hormone-Attractiveness Correlations Are Not Simply Byproducts Of Between-Women Hormone-Attractiveness Correlations

Putative associations between sex hormones and attractive physical characteristics in women are central to many theories of human physical attractiveness and mate choice. Although such theories have become very influential, evidence that physically attractive and unattractive women have different hormonal profiles is equivocal. Consequently, we investigated hypothesized relationships between salivary estradiol and progesterone and two aspects of women’s physical attractiveness that are commonly assumed to be correlated with levels of these hormones: facial attractiveness (N=249) and waist-to-hip ratio (N=247). Our analyses revealed no evidence that women with more attractive faces or lower (i.e., more attractive) waist-to-hip ratios had higher levels of estradiol or progesterone. These results do not support the influential hypothesis that between-women differences in physical attractiveness are related to estradiol and/or progesterone.Havlicek et al. (Behavioral Ecology, 26, 1249-1260, 2015) proposed that increased attractiveness of women in hormonal states associated with high fertility is a byproduct (or “perceptual spandrel”) of adaptations related to between-women differences in sex hormones. A critical piece of their argument was the claim that between-women hormone-attractiveness correlations are stronger than corresponding within-woman correlations. We directly tested this claim by collecting multiple face images and saliva samples from 249 women. Within-woman facial attractiveness was highest when current estradiol was high and current progesterone was simultaneously low, as is the case during the high-fertility phase of the menstrual cycle. By contrast, between-women hormone-attractiveness correlations were not significant. Our results do not support Havlicek et al9s “perceptual spandrels” hypothesis of hormone-linked attractiveness in women. Rather, they present new evidence that women9s attractiveness subtly changes with fluctuations in sex hormones.

No evidence that more physically attractive young adult women have higher estradiol or progesterone

Putative associations between sex hormones and attractive physical characteristics in women are central to many theories of human physical attractiveness and mate choice. Although such theories have become very influential, evidence that physically attractive and unattractive women have different hormonal profiles is equivocal. Consequently, we investigated hypothesized relationships between salivary estradiol and progesterone and two aspects of women’s physical attractiveness that are commonly assumed to be correlated with levels of these hormones: facial attractiveness (N=249) and waist-to-hip ratio (N=247). Our analyses revealed no evidence that women with more attractive faces or lower (i.e., more attractive) waist-to-hip ratios had higher levels of estradiol or progesterone. These results do not support the influential hypothesis that between-women differences in physical attractiveness are related to estradiol and/or progesterone.Havlicek et al. (Behavioral Ecology, 26, 1249-1260, 2015) proposed that increased attractiveness of women in hormonal states associated with high fertility is a byproduct (or “perceptual spandrel”) of adaptations related to between-women differences in sex hormones. A critical piece of their argument was the claim that between-women hormone-attractiveness correlations are stronger than corresponding within-woman correlations. We directly tested this claim by collecting multiple face images and saliva samples from 249 women. Within-woman facial attractiveness was highest when current estradiol was high and current progesterone was simultaneously low, as is the case during the high-fertility phase of the menstrual cycle. By contrast, between-women hormone-attractiveness correlations were not significant. Our results do not support Havlicek et al9s “perceptual spandrels” hypothesis of hormone-linked attractiveness in women. Rather, they present new evidence that women9s attractiveness subtly changes with fluctuations in sex hormones.