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Women Express a Preference for Feminized Male Faces after Giving Birth

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Abstract

Human female preferences for male traits may be indicative of sexual selection pressures. Previous data suggest women’s preferences for masculine features appear to be highest around peak times of fertility. Preferences for sexually dimorphic features at different times of risk of conception suggest women may be shifting mate preferences or mating strategies. Two datasets presented here show women’s preferences for digitally masculinized or feminized faces after recently giving birth and caring for a young baby. Findings from an online sample (n = 211) and the Philippines (n = 155) indicate women during the first year after giving birth expressed a preference for feminized male faces. Moreover, in the same Philippines study, nulliparous women (n = 105) similarly displayed a preference for feminized male faces. These findings suggest women caring for a young infant may be utilizing contextual mating strategies in a time of low-risk of conception, while a preference for feminine male faces may also be suggestive of the wider variation in face dimorphism preferences cross-culturally.

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Acknowledgments

The Wenner-Gren Foundation and UNLV International Programs provided support for the Philippines project. We thank Fred Hadi for help with hormone assays and Elizabeth Brogdon, Carol Franco, Kristen Herlosky and Shelly Volsche for feedback on a previous draft of the manuscript. We also thank two anonymous reviewers for helpful feedback.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO, 80918, USA

    Michelle J. Escasa-Dorne

  2. School of Community Health Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, 89154, USA

    Heidi Manlove

  3. Department of Anthropology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, 89154, USA

    Peter B. Gray

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  1. Michelle J. Escasa-Dorne
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  2. Heidi Manlove
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Correspondence to Michelle J. Escasa-Dorne.

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Escasa-Dorne, M.J., Manlove, H. & Gray, P.B. Women Express a Preference for Feminized Male Faces after Giving Birth. Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology 3, 30–42 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40750-016-0048-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40750-016-0048-6

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