Human male body size predicts increased knockout power, which is accurately tracked by conspecific judgments of male dominance

Neil R Caton; Lachlan M Brown; Amy Zhao; Barnaby J W Dixson

doi:10.31234/osf.io/3jny4

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Human male body size predicts increased knockout power, which is accurately tracked by conspecific judgments of male dominance

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Human male body size predicts increased knockout power, which is accurately tracked by conspecific judgments of male dominance

Neil R Caton, Lachlan M Brown, Amy Zhao and Barnaby J W Dixson

PsyArXiv Preprints, Vol.29 June 2022, pp.1-30

Cornell University

2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/3jny4

PMCID: PMC11317448

PMID: 38878141

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Abstract

agonistic exchange

body size

contest competition

dominance perception

mixed-martial-arts

resource-holding power

Humans have undergone a long evolutionary history of violent agonistic exchanges, which would have placed selective pressures on greater body size and the psychophysical systems that detect them. The present work showed that greater body size in humans predicted increased knockout power during contests (Study 1a-1b: total N = 5,866; Study 2: N = 44 openweight fights). In agonistic exchanges reflective of ancestral size asymmetries, heavier combatants were 300% more likely to win against their lighter counterparts solely because they were 300% more likely to knock them out (Study 2). Greater body size afforded no other fighting performance advantages other than increased knockout power (Studies 1-2). Human dominance judgments (total N = 500 MTurkers) accurately tracked the frequency with which men (N = 516) had knocked out similar sized adversaries (Study 3). Humans were able to directly perceive a man’s knockout power solely because they were attending to cues of a man’s body size. Human dominance judgments—which are important across numerous psychological domains, including attractiveness, leadership, and legal decision-making—accurately predict the likelihood with which a potential mate, ally, or rival can incapacitate their adversaries.

Details

Title: Human male body size predicts increased knockout power, which is accurately tracked by conspecific judgments of male dominance
Authors: Neil R Caton (Author) - The University of Queensland
Lachlan M Brown (Author) - The University of Queensland
Amy Zhao (Author) - The University of Queensland
Barnaby J W Dixson (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Legacy
Publication details: PsyArXiv Preprints, Vol.29 June 2022, pp.1-30
Publisher: Cornell University
Date published: 2022
DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/3jny4
PMID: 38878141; PMC11317448
Copyright note: CC-By Attribution 4.0 International
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: 99652298802621
Output Type: Preprint

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