Authors:
Lisa L. M. Welling Face Research Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK

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Benedict C. Jones Face Research Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK

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Lisa M. Debruine Face Research Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK

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Anthony C. Little Department of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK

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Finlay G. Smith Face Research Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK

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Abstract

Here we show that women's preferences for femininity (vs. masculinity) in men's faces are decreased after viewing a slideshow of images of highly attractive men, but not after viewing a slideshow of relatively unattractive men. As masculinity is thought to be a cue of men's heritable fitness, and viewing images of highly attractive opposite-sex individuals increases sexual motivation, this may indicate that women increase their preferences for male cues of heritable fitness in circumstances where mating is likely to occur. This context-sensitivity in women's face preferences may, therefore, be adaptive, since decreased preferences for feminine men (i.e. increased preferences for masculine men) when sexual motivation is enhanced may increase offspring viability. Interestingly, we found that viewing images of highly attractive men also decreased women's preferences for femininity in female faces. This latter finding could either reflect increased derogation of attractive (i.e. feminine) same-sex competitors when sexual motivation is enhanced or be a low-cost functionless by-product of a mechanism for increasing preferences for cues of men's heritable fitness when sexual motivation is high. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that recent visual experience with highly attractive opposite-sex individuals influences attractiveness judgments and present novel evidence for potentially adaptive context-sensitivity in attractiveness judgments.

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  • G. Buckingham L.M. Debruine A.C. Little L.L.M. Welling C.A. Conway B.P. Tiddeman B.C. Jones 2006 Visual adaptation to masculine and feminine faces influences generalized preferences and perceptions of trustworthiness Evolution and Human Behavior 27 381 389.

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  • L.M. DeBruine B.C. Jones L. Unger A.C. Little D.R. Feinberg 2007 Dissociating averageness and attractiveness: Attractive faces are not always average Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance 33 1420 1430.

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  • Jones, B.C., Debruine, L.M. & Little, A.C. (in press): Adaptation reinforces preferences for attractive faces. Visual Cognition.

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  • B.C. Jones A.C. Little L. Boothroyd L.M. Debruine D.R. Feinberg M.J. Law Smith R.E. Cornwell F.R. Moore D.I. Perrett 2005 Commitment to relationships and preferences for femininity and apparent health in faces are strongest on days of the menstrual cycle when progesterone level is high Hormones and Behavior 48 283 290.

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Journal of Evolutionary Psychology 
Language English
Size  
Year of
Foundation
2007 (2003)
Publication
Programme
changed title
Volumes
per Year
 
Issues
per Year
 
Founder Akadémiai Kiadó
Founder's
Address
H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
Publisher Akadémiai Kiadó
Publisher's
Address
H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
Responsible
Publisher
Chief Executive Officer, Akadémiai Kiadó
ISSN 1789-2082 (Print)
ISSN 2060-5587 (Online)

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