OBJECTIVES: Women tend to have a smaller
chin, fuller lips, and rounder eyes than men, due in part to the effects of
estrogen. These features associated with facial femininity have been found to
be positively associated with fertility. Although young men in their 20s typically
judge facial femininity as more attractive than facial masculinity, at all
ages, men with higher sexual desire and testosterone levels tend to show a
marked preference for feminine faces. In the current study, we extend this
research using a large cross-national sample to test the hypothesis that facial
femininity preferences will be stronger among younger men than among older men.
We also tested whether these preferences are influenced by self-reported sexual
openness, national health indices, and gross national income.
RESULTS: Facial femininity preferences decreased with age, being
highest among men in their 30s and lowest among men in their 70s. This pattern
was independent of men's sexual openness and cross-national variation in health
and socioeconomic development.
DISCUSSION:Our study shows that men's preferences for facial
femininity are age dependent. At the proximate level, differences in
preferences could reflect age-related declines in testosterone levels. These
age-related declines in preferences could benefit older men, who are less able
to invest in mating effort, and thus may opt out of competition with younger
men for mates with potentially higher fertility.
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