Claire I. Fisher

Changes in salivary estradiol predict changes in women's preferences for vocal masculinity

Although many studies have reported that womens preferences for masculine physical characteristics in men change systematically during the menstrual cycle, the hormonal mechanisms underpinning these changes are currently poorly understood. Previous studies investigating the relationships between measured hormone levels and womens masculinity preferences tested only judgments of mens facial attractiveness. Results of these studies suggested that preferences for masculine characteristics in mens faces were related to either womens estradiol or testosterone levels. To investigate the hormonal correlates of within-woman variation in masculinity preferences further, here we measured 62 womens salivary estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone levels and their preferences for masculine characteristics in mens voices in five weekly test sessions. Multilevel modeling of these data showed that changes in salivary estradiol were the best predictor of changes in womens preferences for vocal masculinity. These results complement other recent research implicating estradiol in womens mate preferences, attention to courtship signals, sexual motivation, and sexual strategies, and are the first to link womens voice preferences directly to measured hormone levels.

A longitudinal analysis of women’s salivary testosterone and intrasexual competitiveness

Research on within-subject changes in womens intrasexual competitiveness has generally focused on possible relationships between womens intrasexual competitiveness and estimates of their fertility. While this approach is useful for testing hypotheses about the adaptive function of changes in womens intrasexual competitiveness, it offers little insight into the proximate mechanisms through which such changes might occur. To investigate this issue, we carried out a longitudinal study of the hormonal correlates of changes in intrasexual competitiveness in a large sample of heterosexual women (N=136). Each woman provided saliva samples and completed an intrasexual competitiveness questionnaire in five weekly test sessions. Multilevel modeling of these data revealed a significant, positive within-subject effect of testosterone on intrasexual competitiveness, indicating that women reported greater intrasexual competitiveness when testosterone was high. By contrast, there were no significant effects of estradiol, progesterone, estradiol-to-progesterone ratio, or cortisol and no significant effects of any hormones on reported relationship jealousy. This is the first study to demonstrate correlated changes in measured testosterone levels and womens reported intrasexual competitiveness, implicating testosterone in the regulation of womens intrasexual competitiveness.

General sexual desire, but not desire for uncommitted sexual relationships, tracks changes in women’s hormonal status

Several recent longitudinal studies have investigated the hormonal correlates of both young adult womens general sexual desire and, more specifically, their desire for uncommitted sexual relationships. Findings across these studies have been mixed, potentially because each study tested only small samples of women (Ns = 43, 33, and 14). Here we report results from a much larger (N = 375) longitudinal study of hormonal correlates of young adult womens general sexual desire and their desire for uncommitted sexual relationships. Our analyses suggest that within-woman changes in general sexual desire are negatively related to progesterone, but are not related to testosterone or cortisol. We observed some positive relationships for estradiol, but these were generally only significant for solitary sexual desire. By contrast with our results for general sexual desire, analyses showed no evidence that changes in womens desire for uncommitted sexual relationships are related to their hormonal status. Together, these results suggest that changes in hormonal status contribute to changes in womens general sexual desire, but do not influence womens desire for uncommitted sexual relationships.

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.

Integrating shape cues of adiposity and color information when judging facial health and attractiveness

Facial cues of adiposity play an important role in social perceptions, such as health and attractiveness judgments. Although relatively low levels of adiposity are generally associated with good health, low levels of adiposity are also a symptom of many communicable diseases. Consequently, it may be important to distinguish between individuals displaying low levels of facial adiposity because they are in good physical condition and those displaying low levels of facial adiposity because they are ill. Integrating information from facial cues of adiposity with information from other health cues, such as facial coloration, may facilitate such distinctions. Here, participants rated the health and attractiveness of face images experimentally manipulated to vary in shape cues of adiposity and color cues associated with perceived health. As we had predicted, the extent to which faces with low levels of adiposity were rated more positively than faces with relatively high levels of adiposity was greater for faces with healthy color cues than it was for faces with unhealthy color cues. Such interactions highlight the integrative processes that allow us to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy individuals during social interactions, potentially reducing the likelihood of contracting infectious diseases.

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.

Sex-Specificity in the Reward Value of Facial Attractiveness

Studies of the sex-specificity of sexual arousal in adults (i.e., the tendency to respond more strongly to preferred-sex individuals than non-preferred sex individuals) have suggested that heterosexual men, homosexual men, and homosexual women show stronger sex-specific responses than do heterosexual women. Evidence for a similar pattern of results in studies investigating the reward value of faces is equivocal. Consequently, we investigated the effects of (1) sexual orientation (homosexual vs. heterosexual), (2) sex (male vs. female), (3) image sex (preferred-sex vs. non-preferred-sex), and (4) the physical attractiveness of the individual shown in the image on the reward value of faces. Participants were 130 heterosexual men, 130 homosexual men, 130 heterosexual women, and 130 homosexual women. The reward value of faces was assessed using a standard key-press task. Multilevel modeling of responses indicated that images of preferred-sex individuals were more rewarding than images of non-preferred-sex individuals and that this preferred-sex bias was particularly pronounced when more physically attractive faces were presented. These effects were not qualified by interactions involving either the sexual orientation or the sex of our participants, however, suggesting that the preferred-sex bias in the reward value of faces is similar in heterosexual men, homosexual men, heterosexual women, and homosexual women.

Testing the Utility of a Data-Driven Approach for Assessing BMI from Face Images.

Several lines of evidence suggest that facial cues of adiposity may be important for human social interaction. However, tests for quantifiable cues of body mass index (BMI) in the face have examined only a small number of facial proportions and these proportions were found to have relatively low predictive power. Here we employed a data-driven approach in which statistical models were built using principal components (PCs) derived from objectively defined shape and color characteristics in face images. The predictive power of these models was then compared with models based on previously studied facial proportions (perimeter-to-area ratio, width-to-height ratio, and cheek-to-jaw width). Models based on 2D shape-only PCs, color-only PCs, and 2D shape and color PCs combined each performed significantly and substantially better than models based on one or more of the previously studied facial proportions. A non-linear PC model considering both 2D shape and color PCs was the best predictor of BMI. These results highlight the utility of a “bottom-up”, data-driven approach for assessing BMI from face images.

Are physiological and behavioral immune responses negatively correlated? Evidence from hormone-linked differences in men's face preferences.

&NA; Behaviors that minimize exposure to sources of pathogens can carry opportunity costs. Consequently, how individuals resolve the tradeoff between the benefits and costs of behavioral immune responses should be sensitive to the extent to which they are vulnerable to infectious diseases. However, although it is a strong prediction of this functional flexibility principle, there is little compelling evidence that individuals with stronger physiological immune responses show weaker behavioral immune responses. Here we show that men with the combination of high testosterone and low cortisol levels, a hormonal profile recently found to be associated with particularly strong physiological immune responses, show weaker preferences for color cues associated with carotenoid pigmentation. Since carotenoid cues are thought to index vulnerability to infectious illnesses, our results are consistent with the functional flexibility principles prediction that individuals with stronger physiological immune responses show weaker behavioral immune responses. HighlightsMen with high testosterone and low cortisol show weaker preferences for dark yellow facial skin.No effects of hormones on preferences for light red facial skinHormones predict some aspects of mens face preferences.

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.