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Article

No Compelling Evidence That Preferences for Facial Masculinity Track Changes in Women¡¯s Hormonal Status

Details

Citation

Jones BC, Hahn AC, Fisher C, Wang H, Kandrik M, Han C, Fasolt V, Morrison D, Lee AJ, Holzleitner IJ, O'Shea KJ, Roberts SC, Little AC & DeBruine LM (2018) No Compelling Evidence That Preferences for Facial Masculinity Track Changes in Women¡¯s Hormonal Status. Psychological Science, 29 (6), pp. 996-1005. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797618760197

Abstract
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.

Keywords
attractiveness; mate preferences; menstrual cycle; oral contraceptives; sexual selection; open data; open materials

Journal
Psychological Science: Volume 29, Issue 6

StatusPublished
Publication date01/06/2018
Publication date online30/04/2018
Date accepted by journal12/01/2018
URL
PublisherSAGE
ISSN0956-7976
eISSN1467-9280

People (2)

Dr Anthony Lee

Dr Anthony Lee

Lecturer in Psychology, Psychology

Professor Craig Roberts

Professor Craig Roberts

Professor of Social Psychology, Psychology

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