Sexual selection shaped psychological mechanisms in both sexes to assess potential mates for evidence of mate quality (Buss, 2005). Attraction preferences are one such mechanism (Sugiyama, 2005) and physical attraction preferences are sensitive to fitness-promoting traits present in a potential mate. Physically attractive traits are thought to act as signals of good genetic quality (Neff & Pitcher, 2005) and are preferred because of the advantage such quality bestows towards reproductive success. Specifically, genetic quality is proposed to be a biological requirement necessary for physically attractive traits to develop and be maintained (Johnstone & Grafen, 1993). Furthermore, genetic quality is heritable to offspring, thereby increasing offspring reproductive success (Orr, 2009). All mating decisions inherently involve trade-offs due to costs inflicted on time and resources when choosing a long-term mate. Assessing a mate for genetic quality is imperative to ensuring one selects a quality mate with heritable fitness benefits towards offspring reproductive success (Buss, 2005). In order to minimize costs and maximize benefits when making mate selection decisions, humans use multiple and redundant signals of mate quality (Fink & Penton-Voak, 2002; Møller & Pomiankowski, 1993). Accordingly, this study supposed that siblings act as redundant signals of genetic quality that would factor into mating decisions. Because genetic quality is heritable (Houle, 1991) and visible through physical attractiveness (Thornhill & Gangestad, 1999), this study explored the possibility that knowledge of relatedness influenced attractiveness judgments of human faces. Supporting the main hypothesis of the current study, siblings affected judgments of physical attractiveness for target faces. Analyses showed this effect to be driven entirely by female raters for both male [t(62)=3.87, p<.001] and female [t(61)=2.24, p=.029] target faces. Secondary analyses examining the effects of sibling pair attractiveness differences (low vs. high) showed that relatedness significantly increased female ratings of facial attractiveness for both low and high facially attractive male and low facially attractive female target faces. Results offer two possible conclusions as to the role relatedness may serve in mate quality assessments that align with parental investment as well as kin selection assumptions.

<p>Menstruationscykelns inverkan på kvinnors preferenser för mäns ansikten</p><p>Sammanfattning</p><p>Detta är en systematisk replikation av Penton-Voaks och Perrets studie (1999) då en preferens hos kvinnor för maskuliniserade ansiktsdrag under hög befruktningsrisk i menstruationscykeln hittades. Dessa drag tros vara en ärlig signal för goda gener och immunokompetens hos män. Oklarhet råder huruvida detta gäller för olika populationer. 36 svenska universitetsstuderande kvinnor fick därför välja ut de mest fysiskt attraktiva ansiktena, utifrån maskuliniserade och feminiserade bildserier, vid hög respektive låg befruktningsrisk. Ingen signifikant skillnad hittades mellan de olika faserna. Resultaten indikerar att fynden för menstruella preferensskiften inte är robusta över olika populationer och att det eventuellt är flera evolutionära mekanismer som opererar samtidigt. Alternativt kan kulturella faktorer spela en större roll än vad som tidigare förutsatts.</p> / <p>Women’s Preferences for Male Facial Masculinity Across the Menstrual Cycle</p><p>Abstract</p><p>This is a systematic replication of the Penton-Voak and Perret study (1999) where a preference for masculinized faces was found at high conception risk in the menstrual cycle. These traits are believed to be honest signals of good genes and immunocompetence. It is uncertain if these findings are robust across different populations. 36 Swedish college students were asked to pick out the most “physically attractive” male faces from masculinized and feminized stimuli at high and low risk of conception. No significant differences were found between the phases. The results indicate that the findings for a menstrual preference shift are not consistent with the original study . Perhaps several evolutionary mechanisms are operating at the same time, and cultural factors might have a greater influence than previously supposed.</p>

Menstruationscykelns inverkan på kvinnors preferenser för mäns ansikten Sammanfattning Detta är en systematisk replikation av Penton-Voaks och Perrets studie (1999) då en preferens hos kvinnor för maskuliniserade ansiktsdrag under hög befruktningsrisk i menstruationscykeln hittades. Dessa drag tros vara en ärlig signal för goda gener och immunokompetens hos män. Oklarhet råder huruvida detta gäller för olika populationer. 36 svenska universitetsstuderande kvinnor fick därför välja ut de mest fysiskt attraktiva ansiktena, utifrån maskuliniserade och feminiserade bildserier, vid hög respektive låg befruktningsrisk. Ingen signifikant skillnad hittades mellan de olika faserna. Resultaten indikerar att fynden för menstruella preferensskiften inte är robusta över olika populationer och att det eventuellt är flera evolutionära mekanismer som opererar samtidigt. Alternativt kan kulturella faktorer spela en större roll än vad som tidigare förutsatts. / Women’s Preferences for Male Facial Masculinity Across the Menstrual Cycle Abstract This is a systematic replication of the Penton-Voak and Perret study (1999) where a preference for masculinized faces was found at high conception risk in the menstrual cycle. These traits are believed to be honest signals of good genes and immunocompetence. It is uncertain if these findings are robust across different populations. 36 Swedish college students were asked to pick out the most “physically attractive” male faces from masculinized and feminized stimuli at high and low risk of conception. No significant differences were found between the phases. The results indicate that the findings for a menstrual preference shift are not consistent with the original study . Perhaps several evolutionary mechanisms are operating at the same time, and cultural factors might have a greater influence than previously supposed.

The purpose of the present study was two-fold: (1) to determine whether the ratings a client receives on measures of likeableness, psychological effectiveness, and prognostic outcome differ as a result of the client's perceived level of physical attractiveness (high or low) and, (2) to determine whether the level of professional training in clinical/counseling psychology possessed by the raters mediates these effects. To achieve these purposes, four groups of subjects (varying in level of training in clinical/counseling psychology) listened to the same 12-minute audio-tape excerpt of an actual initial interview with a client. Half the subjects in each group viewed a photograph of a woman previously determined to be of a high physical attractiveness level and half the subjects in each group viewed a photograph of a woman previously determined to be low in physical attractiveness level. The subjects were told that the photograph was of the client to whom they were listening. Following the presentation of these stimulus materials, the subjects responded to questionnaires designed to determine the subjects' perceptions of the client's likeableness, psychological effectiveness, and prognosis. Analysis of variance techniques were used for statistical comparisons of the data. The results showed: (1) the physical attractiveness level of the client (high or low) resulted in no systematic biasing of the subjects' judgements of the client's likeableness, psychological effectiveness, or prognosis, and (2) the four groups (representing different levels of training in counseling/ clinical psychology) did not differ significantly from one another in the ratings they gave the client. Therefore, the results of the present study did not support previous research on this topic. Possible implications of the findings of the present study, with consideration of the apparent contradiction with earlier research and suggestions for further investigation of this topic are discussed.

When looking for a future partner, both attractiveness and personality play a part. The purpose of this study was to expand previous findings and investigate the difference between face and body choice and the ratings of body parts importance depending on if a person is considering a long- or short-term relationship. The similarity between self and an ideal partner’s extraversion, agreeableness and conscientiousness personality traits was also investigated. An additional question researched associations between the choice of body part for women and men and the two types of relationship (short- and long-term). The method was an online survey in two versions: one which asked questions about participant considering a long- and the other short- term relationship. Seventy-seven university students took a part and were randomly assigned to one of the two surveys. After exclusion of three participants, 38 participants were included in the long-term group (18 women and 20 men, mean age 22.66) and 36 in the short-term survey (17 women and 19 men, mean age 21.86). The results revealed that although face was more frequently chosen than body overall there was no significant association between choice of body part and relationship type. This association was not significant either for males or females when gender was analyzed separately. In addition, individuals rated face higher than body in both the long- and short-term relationship groups, and the ratings of face and body did not differ between the two groups. For the long-term relationships, positive and significant correlations between self and ideal partner personality were found for the three traits (agreeableness, extraversion, and conscientiousness), suggesting a similarity between a person and their ideal partner’s personality for these factors. For the short-term the traits agreeableness and conscientiousness were positive and significantly correlated between self and ideal personality, while extraversion was positive, but it did not reach statistical significance. The traits that survived correction for multiple comparisons in this study were long- and short-term agreeableness and long-term extraversion. In sum, the choice of face or body did not depend on the relationship considered (long- or short- term partner). The personality traits between self and ideal partner were similar and significant besides short-term extraversion. / När man letar efter sin framtida partner spelar både attraktion och personlighet roll. Syftet med denna studie var att utöka tidigare forskning och undersöka skillnaden mellan ansikts- och kroppsval samt hur stor betydelse olika kroppsdelar har beroende på om en person överväger en lång- eller kortvarig relation. Likheten mellan själv och en ideal partners extraversion, behaglighet och samvetsgrannhet undersöktes också. En ytterligare fråga utredde samband mellan val av kroppsdel för kvinnor och män med anseende på de två typerna av relationer (kort- och långvarig). Metoden var en webbenkät i två versioner: den ena ställde frågor om hur deltagaren valde sin partner i en långvarig relation och den andra kortvarig relation. Sjuttio-sju universitetsstudenter deltog och de tilldelades slumpmässigt till en av de två enkäter. Efter uteslutning av tre deltagare, 38 deltagare i långtidsgruppen (18 kvinnor och 20 män, medelåldern 22,66) och 36 i korttidsundersökningen (17 kvinnor och 19 män, medelålder 21,86) deltog i studien. Resultaten avslöjade att även om ansikte valdes oftare än kroppen, fanns det inget signifikant samband mellan val av kroppsdel och relationstyp. Detta samband var inte heller signifikant vare sig för män eller kvinnor när kön analyserades separat. Dessutom bedömde individer ansikte högre än kropp i både lång- och kortsiktiga relationsgrupper, och betygen av ansikte och kropp skilde sig inte mellan de två grupperna. För de långtidrelationerna fann man positiva och signifikanta korrelationer mellan själv och den ideala partners personlighet för de tre egenskaperna (behaglighet, extraversion och samvetsgrannhet). Detta tyder på en likhet mellan en person och deras ideala partners personlighet för dessa faktorer. För korttidsförhållanden var egenskaperna behaglighet och samvetsgrannhet positiva och signifikant korrelerade mellan själv och den ideala personligheten, medan extraversion var positiv, men detta nådde inte statistisk signifikans. De egenskaper som har överlevt korrigering för flera jämförelser i denna studie var lång- och kortvarig behaglighet och långvarig extraversion. Valet av ansikte eller kropp berodde inte på vilken relation som ansågs (lång- eller korttidspartner). Personlighetsdragen för sig själv och ideal partner var lika och signifikanta förutom kortvarig extraversion.

In today's society a beauty ideal exists in America, which attempts to define female beauty as fitting into a certain mold. Certain characteristics have been deemed the most attractive when it comes to female physical attractiveness, and an ideal image of beauty has been presented by the media. This research focuses on whether or not everyone buys into that beauty ideal, and examines the impact that a person's sex and race has on the physical characteristics which that individual defines as the most appealing. Surveys were administered to 300 UCF students age 18-35. Participants were asked about ten different physical characteristics relating to women, and were asked to choose the characteristic among each group that they found the most physically attractive or beautiful. The study showed that both sex and racial differences do exist, and that there are variations in what different people consider beautiful. Not everyone has the same opinion on what is attractive in regards to the physical appearance of women.