Facial shape provides valid clues to social sexuality in men, but not in women

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2021.02.001

Commentary

Existing research suggests that an observer's perception of social sexuality from a stranger's face is positively related to an individual's self-reported social sexuality.

However, it is not clear whether observers use these judgmental cues, so across two studies, the content investigated whether social sexuality is reflected in faces, which cues contain information about social sexuality, and whether observers' perceptions of social sexuality from faces are positively related to individuals' self-reported social sexuality.

In Study 1, a geometric morphometric modeling (GMM) analysis of 103 Caucasian participants revealed that self-reported social sexuality was predicted by male facial morphology and not by female facial morphology.

In Study 2, 65 Caucasian participants judged the social sexuality of faces of the opposite sex (Study 1 faces) in the absence of acquaintances, and perceived social sexuality predicted self-reported social sexuality in men, but not in women.

Participants were presented with a facial composite of an individual with less restrictive social sexuality paired with a facial composite of an individual with more restrictive social sexuality and asked to indicate which was less restrictive.

Participants selected the male, but not the female, facial composite with the less restrictive social sexuality at a much higher rate than chance. The GMM analysis also found that facial form was a statistically significant predictor of the perceived social sexuality of female and even male faces.

Finally, facial form mediated the relationship between perceived social sexuality and self-reported social sexuality on male faces, but not on female faces.