Over the last ten years, Oosterhof and Todorov's valence-dominance model has emerged as the most prominent account of how people evaluate faces on social dimensions. In this model, two dimensions (valence and dominance) underpin social judgments of faces. Because this model has primarily been developed and tested in Western regions, it is unclear whether these findings apply to other regions. We addressed this question by replicating Oosterhof and Todorov's methodology across 11 world regions, 41 countries, and 11,570 participants. When we used Oosterhof and Todorov's original analysis strategy, the valence-dominance model generalized across regions. When we used an alternative methodology to allow for correlated dimensions we observed much less generalization. Collectively, these results suggest that, while the valence-dominance model generalizes very well across regions when dimensions are forced to be orthogonal, regional differences are revealed when we use different extraction methods, correlate and rotate the dimension reduction solution.

Over the last ten years, Oosterhof and Todorov’s valence-dominance model has emerged as the most prominent account of how people evaluate faces on social dimensions. In this model, two dimensions (valence and dominance) underpin social judgments of faces. Because this model has primarily been developed and tested in Western regions, it is unclear whether these findings apply to other regions. We addressed this question by replicating Oosterhof and Todorov’s methodology across 11 world regions, 41 countries, and 11,570 participants. When we used Oosterhof and Todorov’s original analysis strategy, the valence-dominance model generalized across regions. When we used an alternative methodology to allow for correlated dimensions we observed much less generalization. Collectively, these results suggest that, while the valence-dominance model generalizes very well across regions when dimensions are forced to be orthogonal, regional differences are revealed when we use different extraction methods, correlate and rotate the dimension reduction solution.

Objectives: Facial averageness and sexual dimorphism are extensively studied attractiveness markers, which are viewed as possible indicators of biological quality. Both are complex morphological traits, and both can be easily assessed from frontal and lateral projection of a human face. Interestingly, examination of mutual relations between the frontal and lateral dimensions of these markers has so far received little attention in published research. Methods: In our cross-cultural study, we used geometric morphometric data from male and female faces from Brazil, Cameroon, Colombia, and the Czech Republic, and analyzed correlations between frontal and lateral measurements of averageness and degree of maleness/femaleness, that is, the individual variation in features that characterize sexual dimorphism. We also analyzed whether the association between frontal and lateral measurements differed in men and women. Results: In general, our results showed a moderate correlation in sexually dimorphic features between lateral and frontal facial configuration in both sexes, while frontal and lateral facial averageness was moderately correlated only in women. This pattern was less consistent when individual populations were analyzed separately. Conclusions: We suggest that, in general, the weak association between lateral and frontal facial configurations may be the result of selection pressures in favor of individual identity signals. Moreover, especially in women, the frontal and lateral dimension of a given facial attractiveness marker may provide similar information about the qualities of the individual. The absence of a significant correlation in male facial averageness suggests that frontal and lateral averageness convey different information about an individual.

Voice characteristics are important to communicate socially relevant information. Recent research has shown that individuals alter their voices depending on the context of social interactions and perceived characteristics of the audience, and this affects how they are perceived.Numerous studies have also shown that the presence of bodily odours can elicit psychological changes in people. Here, we tested whether the presence of male axillary odour would influence vocal modulations in courtship contexts. We analysed differences in vocal parameters and attractiveness ratings across 950 recordings from 80 participants as they responded to oppositesex target stimuli. Using these, we tested whether men's and women's vocal parameters and perceived attractiveness differed in the presence or absence of the odour. We expected women to speak with increased voice F0, and men to lower their pitch, when exposed to male body odour, especially if it were of high quality. However, neither the presence of male odour, its quality, nor the addition of androstadienone produced any consistent changes in vocal parameters.Nevertheless, rated stimulus attractiveness was predicted by F0 and especially F0 variability, suggesting that this is a key parameter in signalling attraction during human courtship, and supporting the idea that vocal modulations are context-sensitive.

Voice characteristics are important to communicate socially relevant information. Recent research has shown that individuals alter their voices depending on the context of social interactions and perceived characteristics of the audience, and this affects how they are perceived. Numerous studies have also shown that the presence of bodily odours can elicit psychological changes in people. Here, we tested whether the presence of male axillary odour would influence vocal modulations in courtship contexts. We analysed differences in vocal parameters and attractiveness ratings across 950 recordings from 80 participants as they responded to opposite-sex target stimuli. Using these, we tested whether men’s and women’s vocal parameters and perceived attractiveness differed in the presence or absence of the odour. We expected women to speak with increased voice F0, and men to lower their pitch, when exposed to male body odour, especially if it were of high quality. However, neither the presence of male odour, its quality, nor the addition of androstadienone produced any consistent changes in vocal parameters. Nevertheless, rated stimulus attractiveness was predicted by F0 and especially F0 variability, suggesting that this is a key parameter in signalling attraction during human courtship, and supporting the idea that vocal modulations are context-sensitive.

ObjectivesFacial averageness and sexual dimorphism are extensively studied attractiveness markers, which are viewed as possible indicators of biological quality. Both are complex morphological traits and both can be easily assessed from frontal and lateral projection of a human face. Interestingly, examination of mutual relations between the frontal and lateral dimensions of these markers has so far received little attention in published research.MethodsIn our cross-cultural study, we used geometric morphometric data from male and female faces from Brazil, Cameroon, Colombia, and the Czech Republic, and analysed correlations between frontal and lateral measurements of averageness and degree of maleness/femaleness, i.e. individual variation in features that characterize sexual dimorphism. We also analysed whether the association between frontal and lateral measurements differs in men and women.ResultsIn general, our results showed a moderate correlation in sexually dimorphic features between lateral and frontal facial configuration in both sexes, while frontal and lateral facial averageness was moderately correlated only in women. This pattern was less consistent when individual populations were analysed separately.ConclusionsReferring to the multiple signalling theory, we propose that especially in women, lateral/frontal correlations support a hypothesis of redundancy of information provided by the frontal and lateral dimension of a given facial attractiveness marker. The absence of a significant correlation in male facial averageness suggests that frontal and lateral averageness may convey different information about an individual.

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21Body height is a life-history component. It involves important costs for its expression and maintenance, 22 which may originate trade-offs on other costly components such as reproduction or immunity. Although 23 previous evidence has supported the idea that human height could be a sexually selected trait, the 24 explanatory mechanisms that underlie this selection are poorly understood. Despite extensive studies on 25 the association between height and attractiveness, the role of immunity in linking this relation is scarcely 26 studied, particularly in non-Western populations. Here, we tested whether human height is related to 27 health measured by self-perception, and relevant nutritional and health anthropometric indicators in 28 three Latin-American populations that widely differ in socioeconomic and ecological conditions: two 29 urbanised populations from Bogota (Colombia) and Mexico City (Mexico), and one isolated indigenous 30 population (Me'Phaa, Mexico). Results of linear mixed models showed that self-rated health is best 31 predicted by an interaction between height and waist circumference, and the costs associated with large 32 waist circumference are height-dependent, affecting taller people more than shorter individuals. If 33 health and genetic quality cues play an important role in human mate-choice, and height and waist 34 interact to signal health, its evolutionary consequences, including cognitive and behavioural effects, 35 should be addressed in future research. 36 Keywords: Self-reported health, body height, waist circumference, Linear Mixed Models, Latin-37 American populations, honest signals 38 39We are grateful to Laura Rojas, Angie Ramos,