LLM Welling, BC Jones, LM DeBruine, CA Conway, MJ Law Smith, AC Little, DR Feinberg, M Sharp & EAS Al-Dujaili (2007). Raised salivary testosterone in women is associated with increased attraction to masculine faces. Hormones and Behavior, 52(2): 156-161. PDF Times cited 51.
Women's preferences for masculinity in men's faces, voices and behavioral displays change during the menstrual cycle and are strongest around ovulation. While previous findings suggest that change in progesterone level is an important hormonal mechanism for such variation, it is likely that changes in the levels of other hormones will also contribute to cyclic variation in masculinity preferences. Here we compared women's preferences for masculine faces at two points in the menstrual cycle where women differed in salivary testosterone, but not in salivary progesterone or estrogen. Preferences for masculinity were strongest when women's testosterone levels were relatively high. Our findings complement those from previous studies that show systematic variation in masculinity preferences during the menstrual cycle and suggest that change in testosterone level may play an important role in cyclic shifts in women's preferences for masculine traits.
O'Connor JJM, Feinberg DR, Fraccaro PJ, Borak DJ, Tigue CC, Re DE, Jones BC, Little AC, Tiddeman, BP. Female preferences for male vocal and facial masculinity in videos. Ethology.
Watkins CD, Jones BC, Little AC, DeBruine LM, Feinbeg DR. Cues to the sex ratio of the local population influence women's preferences for facial symmetry. Animal Behaviour.
Feinberg DR, DeBruine LM, Jones BC, LIttle AC, O'Connor JJM, Tigue CC. Women's self-perceived health and attractiveness predict their male vocal masculinity preferences in different directions across short- and long-term relationship contexts. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology.
O'Connor JJM & Feinberg DR. The influence of facial masculinity and voice pitch on jealousy and perceptions of intrasexual rivalry. Personality and Individual DIfferences (In Press).
MJ Law Smith, DK Deady, FR Moore, BC Jones, RE Cornwell, MR Stirrat, J Lawson, DR Feinberg & DI Perrett (in press). Maternal tendencies in women are associated with estrogen levels and facial femininity. Hormones and Behavior.