SMU PhD in Psychology student research: Women find wide-faced men more attractive

Psychological scientist and lead researcher of Singapore Management University Katherine Anne Valentine presents her research findings on wide-faced men being more attractive to women.

Do women find wide-faced, dominant-looking men attractive in a live interactive setting? This is the question we set out to answer in our speed-dating study. Past research has shown that men with wider faces have higher testosterone levels, and are more aggressive, powerful, and financially successful, but are they attractive to women? A separate line of research has shown that male faces that are perceived as masculine or dominant are attractive to women for short-term relationships and when women are at their peak of fertility. However, these studies took place in laboratories without any direct contact between men and women. It has been hypothesised that testosterone-linked traits are cues to good genes, but are also linked to negative attributes like unfaithfulness and aggression, and thus men with these attributes are only desirable for the short-term. Until now, no study has demonstrated that women are actually willing to date and mate with dominant and wide-faced men when interacting with them.

Wide-faced men attractive only for short-term relationships

As part of our study, over 150 participants went on three-minute speed-dates with each other and evaluated the person they just met as a potential short-term relationship partner (one-night stand to casual relationship), long-term relationship partner (long-term dating or marriage), or friend, and indicated whether they would like to give their email address to their date in order to see each other again. Independent raters indicated how aggressive, dominant and physically attractive the male speed-daters seemed. A computer programme was used to calculate men's facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR). Men with higher fWHRs were perceived as more dominant and aggressive, but not as more physically attractive. Despite this, women found men with higher fWHRs more interesting for short-term (but not long-term) relationships, and were more likely to give their email addresses to these men to be contacted for future dates. This study is important because it shows that women are interested in wide-faced men, but not for the long-term. It builds on previous research that has shown in lab-based studies that dominant men are attractive for short-term relationships.

The Free Press Journal (Feb 5)
Deccan Chronicle (Feb 5)

Related:
One and Done: For short-term dates, women prefer men with wider faces
Science 2.0

Wide-faced men preferred for short term relationships, study finds
Headlines & Global News (Feb 5)