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:

IntroductionOverview/about the study

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

RESULTS: INFANT INTEREST AND POSITIVE EXPRESSION RATING

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: LTM VS. STM 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?

Results: PART TWO

Facial masculinity/femininty morph

Facial neutrality/happiness morph

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.”