Women's preferences for the male physique

[Agrippa]

Women's preferences for the male physique
Anthropologie, Volume 41/1-2, 2003, pp. 87-91
Sexual selection – women´s preferences for the male physique
Strzałko J.
Abstract
A group of young women were presented with a set of nine male silhouettes drawn in such a way that three depicted the extreme endomorphic, mesomorphic and ectomorphic body types; three the intermediate types; and three body types with a slight predominance of a given component (meso-, ecto- or endomorphic) over the other, evenly balanced, components. The silhouettes were fashioned after photographs from Sheldon. It was expected that the most mesomorphic ‘male’ somatotype would be chosen as the most attractive. Contrary to expectation, the silhouette that scored highest in attractiveness was the one having a balanced proportion of the three components with a slight predominance of ectomorphy. Hence, it represented a physique with moderately developed musculature and a rather slim build. This result supports the postulate that a significant factor of sexual selection leading to the development of sexual dimorphism in modern man was that of intra-sexual competition among males.
This article reminds me of another one:
Remarkably, among men, the low WHR-low SHR rival, that is, the rival with a linear and slender body build, evoked the highest level of jealousy and was perceived as the most attractive and the most socially dominant of all rivals.
Roughly speaking ectomorphic=slim, mesomorphic=muscular, endomorphic=fat.

From:
http://dienekes.blogspot.com/
http://www.mzm.cz/Anthropologie/abst...,2Strzalko.htm
Some ideas:
Moderate (sinewy) Leptosomics are taller too on average, tall and lean body is a sign superficial signal for activity, success and elite status, especially if the posture is good.
The association seems to be natural and based on certain personality traits which occur more often in the leptomorphic constitutional variants. In societies in which this personality traits are successful, which is almost everywhere with the exception of slow living, acting and thinking social-emotional oriented societies, so the association is clear.
Together with the physical advantages and height it explains the preference. The exception are, beside such "slow traditional", often starving societies, societies in which direct physical strength is of greater importance too - there (very) mesomorphic might be more preferred, which is in the West especially true for the lowest classes - where personality traits are not as important as physical dominance for low social-intelligence women.

Various threads important for that issue, especially the first two:
http://forum.skadi.net/showthread.php?t=8778
http://forum.skadi.net/showthread.php?t=37679
http://forum.skadi.net/showthread.php?t=40327
http://forum.skadi.net/showthread.php?t=39434
http://forum.skadi.net/showthread.php?t=37644
http://forum.skadi.net/showthread.php?t=38300

[svin]

I've read more or less similiar study. The 1st row - feminine features, 2nd - masculine.


Source:
DeBruine et al. 2006. Correlated preference for facial masculinity and ideal or actual partner’s masculinity // Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, B. 273: 1355-1360.

Download here: http://www.facelab.org/include/download?id=55

[Agrippa]

Good post Svin, obviously the more masculine face of this sample looks more progressive and Cromagniform, whereas the feminised face looks reduced, infantilised and extremely Alpinised, the correlation is quite obvious. The investment in a more progressive and masculine male body was too high in certain unfavourable environments, the selective pressure under peasantry in crucial phases for positive traits too low as well.

[Menydh]

I found a related article on a study which introduces another variable as well as a an interesting conclusion to this kind of studies.

Women's choice of men goes in cycles

BBC News
June 24, 1999

The faces are computer averages:
the left face is more feminine, the right more masculine

Women are attracted to more masculine-looking men at the most fertile time of their menstrual cycle, psychologists have shown.

During the less fertile times, they choose men with more feminine-looking faces. These are seen as kinder and more co-operative, but less strong and healthy genetically.

A controversial implication of the new research is that, in evolutionary terms, it is natural for a woman to be unfaithful in order to secure both the best genes and the best carer for her children.

This is because a less masculine-looking man may be a better long-term partner, but the strongest, healthiest children would be produced by a quick fling with a more masculine-looking man.

Not a moral judgement

However, the head of the laboratory at St Andrews University where the research was done, Professor David Perrett, told BBC News Online: "This suggestion is a possibility, but we don't know how behaviour is affected by the preferences we see. We're assuming that preferences for different faces are affecting the choices women make."

"But whatever is best in an evolutionary sense is not necessarily the moral thing to do socially. We are not advocating any particular strategy," he said.

More masculine faces (right) have squarer shapes,
heavier, straighter eyebrows and thinner lips

The study was carried out by researchers in Scotland and Japan. They asked women to select the one face from a range that they were most attracted to as a partner for a short-term sexual relationship.

They found that in the most fertile week of their menstrual cycle, women preferred more masculine faces. However, the choice of face did not vary for women using an oral contraceptive (i.e. not fertile) or those asked to choose the most attractive face for a long-term relationship.

Smell of success

The results are supported by previous research which showed that a male hormone smells unpleasant to women, except in the week of fertility. Also, the smells of more symmetrical, and therefore more attractive, men are preferred by women but again only in that week.

Men who look more masculine have higher levels of male hormones and also show a better ability to fight off disease. This makes them attractive as potential mates because their children will inherit this useful characteristic.

Professor Perrett believes that preferences for certain types of faces will have an effect on the partners people choose: "We keep finding very strong links between the appearance of males and their perceived personality. People reckon they can judge personality from the way others look."

"And as long as those links are there, I think preferences will be a profound influence on choice," he said.

He also points out that there are real links between face form and behaviour. For example, a study has shown that more masculine-looking US servicemen are more likely to get divorced and be violent towards their partners.

Not real life

However, Dr Paula Nicolson, a psychologist at the University of Sheffield, thinks this kind should not be seen as applicable to everyday relationships. She will deliver a lecture next month to the British Psychological Society's conference called "Evolutionary psychology is not the answer to everything."

"The research uses experimental methodology which accounts for extraneous variables and for social context. So they find the essence of human nature, which in this case is to do with mating behaviour," she told BBC News Online.

"But this methodology is also a weakness because this is not actually how people live - decisions about choice of partner are made on a whole range of issues. I think the effect of facial preferences is probably lost in today's social context.

"It is important to look at human biology in a basic sense but even most biologists would admit that biology is not that clear-cut."

The study is published in the journal Nature. The initial research was carried out through BBC Tomorrow's World Magazine, co-ordinated by Damian Carrington.


[source]

[Agrippa]

I knew about that, but one has to add that my impression of the issue is as follows: Women in general prefer more masculine faces, but only in certain phases hypermasculine one, so usually rather moderately above average masculinity if having "free choice" for a longer term partner.

Like I wrote in this thread on Skadi:
http://forum.skadi.net/human_miscege...-t83094p6.html

Originally Posted by Agrippa

Actually women go more for status and personality than wealth me thinks, at least the majority and if its about long term relationships, compare:
http://dienekes.blogspot.com/2006/11...wers-mens.html
Being rich can be a minus even in certain settings at least!

From the article:

Highest ratings were consistently given to attractive males of medium status rather than high status.

Because they are afraid of being abandoned and having too much female compeitition if the male is both attractive and very wealthy, so one conclusion is:

Originally Posted by Bridie

So men seeking to be polygynists would be out of luck then.

My answer:

Originally Posted by Agrippa

To give an example: Would you prefer to own or share a Ferrari (every week 2 days)? Of course you would prefer to own it. But what to say if its about sharing a Ferrari or owning a moped?

So there is a basic rule: Women prefer a male of which they think they dont have to share it if its about competing males of otherwise the same level. However, if having to chose between attractive and valuable polygynist vs. unattractive and valueless monogynist, things get more complicated.

Furthermore its about rules vs. individual cases too. F.e. a rich male might be more trustworthy than a middle class one. A male being unattractive on a picture might be interesting in real life for a variety of reasons to the same woman who would have rejected him if her decision would have been based on an image alone etc.

[Menydh]

A interesting question would be if the more masculine the traits, they are not more "regressive" instead of "progressive". This is usually the impression that you get when you see a strongly cromagnid type. The traits are more manly (both in the man and the woman) and perceived as regressive. Not as progressive.

This would also explain women's preferences to more "regressive" types during their fertile periods as an non evolutionary archaism in their genetic memory.

It could also be evidence that women have not evolved in ages. But that's another story.

[Agrippa]

Originally Posted by Mynydd

A interesting question would be if the more masculine the traits, they are not more "regressive" instead of "progressive". This is usually the impression that you get when you see a strongly cromagnid type. The traits are more manly (both in the man and the woman) and perceived as regressive. Not as progressive.

This would also explain women's preferences to more "regressive" types during their fertile periods as an non evolutionary archaism in their genetic memory.

It could also be evidence that women have not evolved in ages. But that's another story.

There is some truth in this and, some studies might point to the possibility that very masculine males being intellectually less successful and emotionally controlled, which are negative tendencies. West African classic Negrids are also more masculine, whats part of "their problem". So the ideal is balanced and somewhat less masculine-brutish in behaviour and intellect, but still possessing a high performance physique and the potential for dominant AND rational psychic behaviour. This leads to more refined variants again which balance things out = progressive. An extreme masculine Cromagnid male would be not primitive, but somewhat archaic looking with a certain one sided psychic condition probably.

However, the really crucial point goes around pronounced Feminised and infantile tendencies which being both rejected by the majority of normal women, physically inferior and psychically too emotionalised and superficial. Maturity and progressive traits are not the same as masculine ones, but very feminised traits being definitely influential if its about many aspects of a group or individual, including its level of progressive-mature traits.

Compare the extremely infantilised-reduced Alpinid:


With this very progressive Nordid-Cromagnid variant:

[Menydh]

Originally Posted by Agrippa

I knew about that, but one has to add that my impression of the issue is as follows: Women in general prefer more masculine faces, but only in certain phases hypermasculine one, so usually rather moderately above average masculinity if having "free choice" for a longer term partner.

It doesn't explain how the androginous types are so trendy among women today.

Originally Posted by Bridie

So men seeking to be polygynists would be out of luck then.

In Islamic countries, the number of wives you can have depends on your purchasing power.

[Agrippa]

It doesn't explain how the androginous types are so trendy among women today.

Androgynous male variants can look in some cases refined to aristocratic in a more decadent way, but what is really strange is the preference of even some older and quite attractive women for guys like Leonardo DiCaprio for which only paedomorphy being a "real argument".

[Marcus Marulus]

Originally Posted by Mynydd

It doesn't explain how the androginous types are so trendy among women today.

Many women have being conditioned by the media to like androgynous types. There's nothing "natural" about that. We are living in the period of the indoctrination of the masses, collective hypnosis and general dumbing and numbing down of both men and women.

And I'm not sure most women really like such types. We have been flooded with different polls trying to prove that, but how much truth is there in these claims?

Originally Posted by Agrippa

but what is really strange is the preference of even some older and quite attractive women for guys like Leonardo DiCaprio for which only paedomorphy being a "real argument".

Perversion of the taste maybe?

[Marcus Marulus]

And to add: many men today tend to make themselves more "feminine" in a way, a result of manipulation as well.

[Susi]

Men who try to be effeminate: Not okay, unnattractive.
Men who are just naturally effeminate: Okay, I guess...

Manly men: Amazing

[Kernunnos]

Originally Posted by svin

I've read more or less similiar study. The 1st row - feminine features, 2nd - masculine.


Source:
DeBruine et al. 2006. Correlated preference for facial masculinity and ideal or actual partner’s masculinity // Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, B. 273: 1355-1360.

Download here: http://www.facelab.org/include/download?id=55

A1 could almost be me thirty years and twenty five kilos ago.

[Lucas Corso]

Tomorrow in the university electronic library i'll try to find the whole article (i hope we've the subscription to that journal...) and not just the abstract...