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Mate preferences and choices for facial and body hair in heterosexual women and homosexual men - influence of sex, population, homogamy, and imprinting-like effect473.93 kB
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Journal article
Mate preferences and choices for facial and body hair in heterosexual women and homosexual men: influence of sex, population, homogamy, and imprinting-like effect
Evolution and Human Behavior, Vol.38(2), pp.241-248
2017
Abstract
Recent research has reported that male body and facial hair influence women's mate preferences. However, it is not clear whether such preferences are typical for women or for individuals who prefer males as sexual partners. Here we explored body and facial hair in preferred and actual partners among men and women who prefer men as sexual partners. Including homosexual individuals provides a unique opportunity to investigate whether evolved mating psychologies are specific to the sex of the individual or sex of the partner. Based on an online survey of 1577 participants from Brazil and the Czech Republic, we found that, on average, homosexual men preferred hairier stimuli than heterosexual women, supporting past findings that homosexual men have strong preferences for masculine traits. Preferences for facial and body hair appear to be influenced less by sex of the preferred partner than sex of the individual, pointing to a possible sex-specific mating psychology. Further, Brazilians preferred bigger beards than Czechs, which was positively associated with the self-reported amount of beardedness in Brazil, suggesting that familiarity effects underpin cross-cultural differences in preferences for facial hair. Moreover, homosexual men preferred a self-similar degree of beardedness, and Czech women preferred a similar degree of beardedness as their fathers had during their childhood. However, these effects were not associated with the level of facial hair in their actual partners; in general, mate preferences and actual mate choices for facial and body hair differed. Thus, individual differences in some self-reported characteristics, cultural factors, and aspects of personal experience may modulate differences in preferences for masculine traits.
Details
- Title
- Mate preferences and choices for facial and body hair in heterosexual women and homosexual men: influence of sex, population, homogamy, and imprinting-like effect
- Authors
- Jaroslava V Valentova (Author) - University of Sao PauloMarco A C Varella (Author) - University of Sao PauloKlara Bartova (Author) - Charles UniversityZuzana Sterbova (Author) - National Institute of Mental HealthBarnaby J W Dixson (Author) - The University of Queensland
- Publication details
- Evolution and Human Behavior, Vol.38(2), pp.241-248
- Publisher
- Elsevier Inc.
- Date published
- 2017
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2016.10.007
- ISSN
- 1879-0607; 1090-5138
- Organisation Unit
- Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Health - Psychology; School of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Legacy
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99629738002621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web Of Science research areas
- Behavioral Sciences
- Psychology, Biological
- Social Sciences, Biomedical