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RESEARCH PRODUCT
Sexual orientation predicts men’s preferences for sexually dimorphic face-shape characteristics: A replication study
Ciaran DochertyLisa M. DebruineVictor Kenji M. ShiramizuBenedict C. Jonessubject
MaleEthnic groupSocial Sciences050109 social psychologyChoice Behavior5. Gender equalityPsychological AttitudesMedicine and Health SciencesEthnicitiesPsychologyHomosexualsmedia_commonSex CharacteristicsMultidisciplinaryQ05 social sciencesRResearch AssessmentFemininityResearch DesignMasculinitybehavior and behavior mechanismsMedicineEngineering and TechnologyFemaleAnatomyPsychologySocial psychologyResearch ArticleAdultSciencemedia_common.quotation_subjectSexual BehaviorReplication StudiesBFResearch and Analysis MethodsInterpersonal Relationships050105 experimental psychologyFace shapeInterpersonal relationshipPrototypesHumans0501 psychology and cognitive sciencesMasculinityBiology and Life SciencesSexual dimorphismFemininityTechnology DevelopmentCollective Human BehaviorFacePeople and PlacesSexual orientationRomantic partnersPopulation GroupingsHeadSexuality Groupingsdescription
Many researchers have proposed that straight men prefer women’s faces displaying feminine shape characteristics at least partly because mating with such women will produce healthier offspring. Although a prediction of thisadaptation-for-mate-choicehypothesis is that straight men will show stronger preferences for feminized versus masculinized versions of women’s faces than will gay men, only one previous study has directly tested this prediction. Here we directly replicated that study by comparing 623 gay and 3163 straight men’s preferences for feminized versus masculinized versions of faces. Consistent with the adaptation-for-mate-choice hypothesis of straight men’s femininity preferences, we found that straight men showed significantly stronger preferences for feminized female faces than did gay men. Consistent with previous research suggesting that gay men place a premium on masculinity in potential romantic partners, we also found that gay men showed significantly stronger preferences for masculinized versions of male faces than did straight men. Together, these findings indicate the sexual orientation contributes to individual differences in men’s face preferences.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-11-13 | PLoS ONE |