testosterone and women's preferences

[James Mich]

Horm Behav. 2007 Apr 24; [Epub ahead of print] Raised
salivary testosterone in women is associated with increased
attraction to masculine faces. Welling LL, Jones BC, Debruine
LM, Conway CA, Law Smith MJ, Little AC, Feinberg DR, Sharp
MA, Al-Dujaili EA.

School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, UK.

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.

[Charles]

On Jun 15, 9:48 am, James Michael Howard
<jmhow...@anthropogeny.com> wrote:
> Horm Behav. 2007 Apr 24; [Epub ahead of print] Raised
> salivary testosterone in women is associated with increased
> attraction to masculine faces. Welling LL, Jones BC,
> Debruine LM, Conway CA, Law Smith MJ, Little AC, Feinberg
> DR, Sharp MA, Al-Dujaili EA.
>
> School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, UK.
>
> 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.

I don't understand what the authors mean when they say
"masculine faces." And did this research work for lesbian
relationships? I am confused about what was actually studied
and concluded. Would this mean that men that are injected with
more testosterone have a stronger attraction to women? or
feminine faces? Also, I am under the impression that women are
much more complicated in their "attraction" than just the
masculinity of a person. thanks charles

[Charles]

On Jun 18, 8:44 pm, "Jois" <firstj...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> "charles" <charles.uzz...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>
> news:1182135272.951358.140600@n60g2000hse.googlegroup-
> s.com...
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Jun 15, 9:48 am, James Michael Howard
> > <jmhow...@anthropogeny.com> wrote:
> >> Horm Behav. 2007 Apr 24; [Epub ahead of print] Raised
> >> salivary testosterone in women is associated with
> >> increased attraction to masculine faces. Welling LL,
> >> Jones BC, Debruine LM, Conway CA, Law Smith MJ, Little
> >> AC, Feinberg DR, Sharp MA, Al-Dujaili EA.
>
> >> School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, UK.
>
> >> 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.
>
> > I don't understand what the authors mean when they say
> > "masculine faces." And did this research work for lesbian
> > relationships? I am confused about what was actually
> > studied and concluded. Would this mean that men that are
> > injected with more testosterone have a stronger attraction
> > to women? or feminine faces? Also, I am under the
> > impression that women are much more complicated in their
> > "attraction" than just the masculinity of a person. thanks
> > charles
>
> This isn't the first (or last) study along lines like these
> and there are other living people besides JMH who are
> interested in testosterone but GOK why. In setting up other
> studies women were shown pictures of men's faces and were
> asked to identify the faces as masculine or to grade the
> faces according to some chosen lines: masculine, sort of
> masculine, kinda masculine, not so very masculine, not
> masculine at all. So studies along these lines would have
> made the determination of what is meant by "masculine
> faces". I wouldn't think that they needed to inject
> testosterone to make these kinds of distinctions.
>
> I would imagine that they would have to state that they
> tested lesbians.
>
> The notes given are saying that female levels of
> testosterone during their own menstrual cycles may influence
> the kinds of men they are attracted to during different
> parts of their menstrual cycles. They didn't exclude other
> things that attract women and attraction may be terribly
> complicated, but they picked out some itsy bitsy aspect of
> attraction and studied it.
>
> Jois
>
> testosterone.>- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Thanks Jois for the clarification.

given a multiple choice test about this subject... my bet
would be that men are more influenced by testosterone ... as a
single, isolated factor... and women "choose" based on a whole
plethora of issues related to the menfolk. Probably not a real
simple issue for either gender, which does point up the value
of some good research into the subject. I, for instance, have
an amazingly defective "gaydar" but am able to recognize a
male sporting a feminine face... that doesn't make the person
gay, nor does it make me want to pursue them! (I am hetero,
but my best friend is lesbian). so, testosterone levels change
during the menstral cycle. I guess that is one take-away from
this work. -charles

[Jois]

"charles" <charles.uzzell@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1182135272.951358.140600@n60g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
> On Jun 15, 9:48 am, James Michael Howard
> <jmhow...@anthropogeny.com> wrote:
>> Horm Behav. 2007 Apr 24; [Epub ahead of print] Raised
>> salivary testosterone in women is associated with increased
>> attraction to masculine faces. Welling LL, Jones BC,
>> Debruine LM, Conway CA, Law Smith MJ, Little AC, Feinberg
>> DR, Sharp MA, Al-Dujaili EA.
>>
>> School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, UK.
>>
>> 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.
>
> I don't understand what the authors mean when they say
> "masculine faces." And did this research work for lesbian
> relationships? I am confused about what was actually studied
> and concluded. Would this mean that men that are injected
> with more testosterone have a stronger attraction to women?
> or feminine faces? Also, I am under the impression that
> women are much more complicated in their "attraction" than
> just the masculinity of a person. thanks charles

This isn't the first (or last) study along lines like these
and there are other living people besides JMH who are
interested in testosterone but GOK why. In setting up other
studies women were shown pictures of men's faces and were
asked to identify the faces as masculine or to grade the faces
according to some chosen lines: masculine, sort of masculine,
kinda masculine, not so very masculine, not masculine at all.
So studies along these lines would have made the determination
of what is meant by "masculine faces". I wouldn't think that
they needed to inject testosterone to make these kinds of
distinctions.

I would imagine that they would have to state that they
tested lesbians.

The notes given are saying that female levels of testosterone
during their own menstrual cycles may influence the kinds of
men they are attracted to during different parts of their
menstrual cycles. They didn't exclude other things that
attract women and attraction may be terribly complicated, but
they picked out some itsy bitsy aspect of attraction and
studied it.

Jois


testosterone.