can women perceive male genetic & paternal quality? q:
TRANSCRIPT
READING MEN’S FACES: WOMEN’S MATE ATTRACTIVENESS JUDGMENTS TRACK MEN’S TESTOSTERONE AND INTEREST IN INFANTS
Can women perceive male genetic & paternal quality?Q:
Female Perspective Mate attractiveness
Genetic quality Paternal quality
How to test??? Genetic quality Testosterone
Paternal quality “Affinity for children”
Summary
Male participants Completed interest in infants test Saliva samples Posed for digital photographs
Female participants Rated photos
5 Grad students Rated photos for expression neutrality
In this study:
Previous Research Facial masculinity
Honest signal of genetic quality? High testosterone only sustainable by healthier
men Cue for paternal quality
Preference for masculinity as a function of menstrual cycle
Masculinity morphing results Faces altered to look more masculine receive
lower ratings than unaltered faces on ‘quality as a parent’ and ‘good father’ dimensions
Methods: Stimulus Photos 51 University of Chicago male
Paid $10 39 straight, willing males
Saliva sample Either a five minute conversation with
a female research assistant during a waiting period or sat alone for five minutes. (part of a larger study)
Photos taken at a standard distance, looking straight into the camera and assume a neutral facial expression.
Visual preference Interest in infants: pictures of infants and
adults were presented simultaneously in pairs (20) and subjects chose preferred photo
Women raters (N=29) UCSB undergrads, ages 18–20 (mean=18.41,
s.d.=0.57) Ovals placed around mens’ faces Rating scale 1–7 scale for ‘likes children,’
‘masculine,’ ‘physically attractive,’ and ‘kind,’ compared to other men
Rated attractiveness as a short-term romantic partner and as a long-term romantic partner
5 graduate students rated the faces of men 1-7 on how positive or negative their faces looked
Methods: Women Raters
Correlation between men’s testosterone levels and masculinity ratings (r=0.34, n=38, p=0.039).
Women’s average ratings of how men like children were significantly correlated with men’s scores on the interest in infants test (r=0.38, n=39, p=0.017).
Positivity of expression affects women’s judgment of men’s liking of children and men’s actual interest in infants, but not masculinity or testosterone.
Masculinity rating significantly related to men’s testosterone and age Testosterone (g=0.22, s.e.=0.03, t28= 7.01, p<0.001) Age (s.e.=0.03, t28=4.75, p<0.001).
RESULTS: WOMEN’S PERCEPTIONS
Long-term mate attractiveness--significant effects: Men’s interest in infants predicted long-
term mate attractiveness (standardized b=0.35, s.e.b.=0.16, p=0.033).
‘Likes children’ in isolation predicted long-term mate attractiveness (g=0.29, s.e.=0.04, t28=6.76, p<0.001).
Age (g=0.11, s.e.=0.03, t28=3.10, p<0.005) (negative effect)
Long-Term Mate Attractiveness
For short-term mate attractiveness testosterone, infant interest, and age exerted influence Testosterone (g=0.11, s.e.=0.04, t28=2.88,
p=0.008) Interest in infants (g=0.10, s.e.=0.03, t28=3.15,
p=0.004) Age – negative influence (g=0.08, s.e.=0.03,
t28=K2.47, p=0.02). Masculinity in isolation predicted short-term
mate attractiveness (g=0.25, s.e.=0.05, t28=4.84, p<0.001)
Short-Term Mate Attractiveness
Results: PART ONE Suggests that women
track actual characteristics that are important for mate choice Perceived infant-liking
significantly correlated with men’s interest in infants
Masculinity ratings significantly correlated with men’s testosterone concentrations
Evidence women may of non-differential attractiveness judgments that track hormone concentrations and infant affinity Testosterone and infant affinity were
not correlated; possibly independent Independent indices for tracking
genetic and paternal quality, not a single dimension (testosterone).
Do women weigh paternal quality against genetic quality?
Conclusions
“Women appear to map facial cues of testosterone onto masculinity judgments, and masculinity judgments in turn positively influence STM attractiveness. Likewise, facial cues of interest in infants are mapped onto judgments of how much men like children, and such judgments in turn positively influence LTM attractiveness.”
“This overall pattern of results is consistent with the existence of adaptations that read facial cues in the service of facilitating adaptive mate choices.”