Friday

Could it be, it's your own fault?

I ran across this and thought it was pretty interesting. Could this be why you are unlucky in love?

How Women Pick Mates vs. Flings

Science might be able to explain women's fascination with Brad Pitt's chiseled jaw and George Clooney's smoldering eyes.

Women seem to judge potential mates by how masculine their features are, new research shows. Men with square jaws and well-defined brow ridges are seen as good short-term partners, while those with more feminine traits such as a rounder face and fuller lips are perceived as better long-term mates.

In the study, 854 male and female subjects viewed a series of male head shots that had been digitally altered to exaggerate or minimize masculine traits. The participants then answered questions about how they expected the men in the photos to behave.

Overwhelmingly, participants said those with more masculine features were likely to be risky and competitive and also more apt to fight, challenge bosses, cheat on spouses and put less effort into parenting. Those with more feminine faces were seen as good parents and husbands, hard workers and emotionally supportive mates [compare examples].

Despite all the negative attributes, when asked who they would choose for a short-term relationship, women still selected the more masculine looking men. Brad and George then would be picks for a brief romance, if not the long haul.

Makes sense

The study, detailed in the December issue of the journal Personal Relationships, reached conclusions similar to research published earlier last year in Britain .

The new study's author, Daniel Kruger at the University of Michigan's School of Public Health, said that from an evolutionary perspective, it makes sense women would view more masculine-looking men as potential flings and less masculine-looking ones as long-term partners.

The key, he said, is testosterone, the hormone responsible for development of masculine facial features and other secondary sexual characteristics.

Testosterone is necessary for development, but can also have detrimental health effects. It has been shown, for example, to interfere with the body's immune response, so men who are able to maintain high levels of the hormone are typically strong and healthy—traits women would want to pass on to their progeny.

Increased testosterone has also been linked to male cheating and violence in relationships, so while these men might produce high quality offspring, they don't always make great parents or faithful mates, Kruger says.

The study suggests women could be equipped to use seemingly superficial characteristics "as a cue to pick up on trends in these behavioral strategies," Kruger said.

Get a clue

There are plenty of these signals in the animal world. Male peacocks' huge, outrageous tails can make foraging for food and evading predators difficult, but the plumage, which many researchers say indicates male fitness, is so effective at luring females that the trait has been preserved in the population, Kruger points out.

While the findings are compelling, the scientific community has typically greeted the field of physiognomy, which links facial characteristics to certain behavioral traits, with skepticism.

Kruger argues, however, that the research is a valuable tool for understanding mating strategies. And, of course, for explaining how Pitt and Clooney managed to snag People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" title two times each—it might have to do with their genes, but could also have something to do with ours.


Reading blogs at work? Click to escape to a suitable site!

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Possibly. Contrary to your stats,personally I am attracted to a mans character. The ability to come into a space and command it. Oh, intelligence and verbal communication is partnered with that. Ex: Sen. Barack Obama is soft looking, but he is a BEAST. So,soft faced or chiseled chin-I like men who are BEASTS at whatever they do.
(if a person wants to cheat, they will. afterall, its what in the pants that will satisfy)

Saadia said...

Cali Dove, you crack me up.

On the real, though, what about all of you MEN? I've yet to meet a man who doesn't care about the way a woman looks...

Lance said...

lol...y'all funny!

"I've yet to meet a man who doesn't care about the way a woman looks..."

-ever been to the 'hood?..hahahaha!!!

for me, it's dimples and that "ass" in sanaa lathan's chin....feel me rich?...lol

Saadia said...

Yes, Lance, I've been to the 'hood. I used to tutor juvey kids there. You know what that experience taught me? The better I looked, the less they wanted to study!!!

When I showed up in a ponytail and glasses, we got a lot more reading done.

I'll stand by my original comment. Men are just as visual, if not more so, than women.

BTW, Lance, sorry for missing our video chat this morning. We'll catch up later. :-)

Sheletha said...

CD~~~im feeling the character...and the beast within...

Anonymous said...

Cali Dove, so you like a man that Cave Man's you but not so obvious to those around you.

Saadia said...

MWB!!!

Lance said...

yo mwb..

you know the code of the streets...

"be a gentlemen to your woman in public, but be a pimp in the bed!"

ladies love "the beast within"!!!!

Sheletha said...

MWB!!!!!!!!!

Lance said...

g_g, when you were teaching them juvey kids, when you had "let your hair down" was it like feeding gremilins, 'round about 12 midnight?....lol

that's ol school!

Anonymous said...

MWB! Have we ever dated? b/c you saw thru my smoke screen.