Neck Musculature in Shaping Perceptions of Men’s Relationship Goals

Abstract

Neck musculature is diagnostic of men’s formidability, which is accurately inferred by perceivers. Within these inferences are several perceptions of men’s social affordances from which perceivers could estimate their abilities to satisfy reproductive goals related to mate acquisition and parental care. Participants evaluated target men’s interest in short-term and long-term mating strategies while assessing effectiveness in satisfying parental goals. Targets varied in trapezius and sternocleidomastoid size. Large trapezius muscles appeared diagnostic of an ability to protect offspring, albeit at the expense of nurturance and an interest in long-term pairbonds. Results extend previous findings that implicate formidability as central to many relationship decisions.