TY - JOUR
T1 - Correlated male preferences for femininity in female faces and voices
AU - Fraccaro, Paul J.
AU - Feinberg, David R.
AU - DeBruine, Lisa M.
AU - Little, Anthony C.
AU - Watkins, Christopher D.
AU - Jones, Benedict C.
PY - 2010/8/24
Y1 - 2010/8/24
N2 - Sexually dimorphic physical traits are important for mate choice and mate preference in many species, including humans. Several previous studies have observed that women's preferences for physical cues of male masculinity in different domains (e.g., visual and vocal) are correlated. These correlations demonstrate systematic, rather than arbitrary, variation in women's preferences for masculine men and are consistent with the proposal that sexually dimorphic cues in different domains reflect a common underlying aspect of male quality. Here we present evidence for a similar correlation between men's preferences for different cues of femininity in women; although men generally preferred feminized to masculinized versions of both women's faces and voices, the strength of men's preferences for feminized versions of female faces was positively and significantly correlated with the strength of their preferences for feminized versions of women's voices. In a second study, this correlation occurred when men judged women's attractiveness as long-term, but not short-term, mates, which is consistent with previous research. Collectively, these findings (1) present novel evidence for systematic variation in men's preferences for feminine women, (2) present converging evidence for concordant preferences for sexually dimorphic traits in different domains, and (3) complement findings of correlations between women's facial and vocal femininity.
AB - Sexually dimorphic physical traits are important for mate choice and mate preference in many species, including humans. Several previous studies have observed that women's preferences for physical cues of male masculinity in different domains (e.g., visual and vocal) are correlated. These correlations demonstrate systematic, rather than arbitrary, variation in women's preferences for masculine men and are consistent with the proposal that sexually dimorphic cues in different domains reflect a common underlying aspect of male quality. Here we present evidence for a similar correlation between men's preferences for different cues of femininity in women; although men generally preferred feminized to masculinized versions of both women's faces and voices, the strength of men's preferences for feminized versions of female faces was positively and significantly correlated with the strength of their preferences for feminized versions of women's voices. In a second study, this correlation occurred when men judged women's attractiveness as long-term, but not short-term, mates, which is consistent with previous research. Collectively, these findings (1) present novel evidence for systematic variation in men's preferences for feminine women, (2) present converging evidence for concordant preferences for sexually dimorphic traits in different domains, and (3) complement findings of correlations between women's facial and vocal femininity.
KW - face attractiveness
KW - mate preference
KW - sexual dimorphism
KW - sexual selection
KW - voice attractiveness
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77955721472&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/147470491000800311
DO - 10.1177/147470491000800311
M3 - Article
C2 - 22947812
AN - SCOPUS:77955721472
VL - 8
SP - 447
EP - 461
JO - Evolutionary Psychology
JF - Evolutionary Psychology
IS - 3
ER -