Sex Differences in Mate Retention and Mate Quality Enhancement: The Effect of Facial Sexual Dimorphism Cues on Willingness to Introduce a New Friend to One’s Partner

Abstract

Building on previous studies, we investigated the influence of sexual dimorphism cues on mate retention and mate quality enhancement behaviors. A total of 233 participants were presented with facial photographs with varying sexual dimorphism cues that were generated using computer graphic techniques and were asked to rate their behavior tendencies associated with mate retention and quality enhancement. The results showed that (1) female participants utilized mate retention tactics as a function of the sexual dimorphism cues of targets, whereas male participants showed an overall stronger and indiscriminate tendency for mate retention; (2) female participants rated masculine men as more competent and more generally attractive and tended to introduce them to their own partner, a pattern that was consistent with mate quality enhancement strategies, whereas male participants did not exhibit comparable behaviors. Taken together, these results suggest that masculine and feminine facial cues are important, albeit subtle, to one's reproductive value and are closely associated with mate retention and quality enhancement strategies. Limitations and future directions are also discussed.

Purchasing social attention by tipping: Materialism predicts online tipping in live‐streaming platform through self‐enhancement motive

“…Usually, the target persons for idolization have desirable social qualities (e.g., status, money, and beauty) that could translate into higher symbolic values for self‐enhancement. For example, in areas such as mating, one's sense of self‐worth is often closely associated with social acceptance/rejection by potential mates with differential mate values (Kavanagh et al, 2010; Leary et al, 1995; Zuo et al, 2019). In such a case, being accepted by an attractive female (high mate value) could significantly elevate self‐esteem, whereas being accepted by a plain‐looking mate would not.…”

Non-Pregnant and Pregnant Women’s Femininity Preferences in Male Faces: Tests Based on Within- and Between-Sex Sexual Dimorphism Facial Manipulations

“…For example, facial attractiveness is closely associated with individuals' mate selection, the likelihood of obtaining employment, and health status (Buckingham et al, 2006), and it is implicated in evolutionary and anthropological explanations of social interaction (Skomina, Verdenik, & Hren, 2020). One important indicator of facial attractiveness is sexual dimorphism, in this case the different characteristics in male and female faces (Burriss, Urszula, & Lyons, 2014;Enquist, Ghirlanda, Lundqvist, & Wachtmeister, 2002;Gangestad & Scheyd, 2005;Zuo, Wen, & Wu, 2019). Recently, the relationship between sexually dimorphic faces and the perception of facial attractiveness has been broadly examined, especially regarding females' preferences for male faces (DeBruine, Jones, Smith, & Little, 2010;DeBruine et al, 2006;Rennels, Bronstad, & Langlois, 2008;Wen & Zuo, 2012).…”