Functional Inferences of Mating Orientations Through Body Fat and Sex-Typical Body Features

Abstract

Identifying reproductive opportunities and intrasexual rivals has necessitated the evolution of sensitivity to features diagnostic of mate value. In determining the presence of good genes through physical features, individuals may additionally infer targets’ short- and long-term mating motives. This study tested how individuals perceive men and women’s mating intentions through physical features conducive to reproductive goals. Participants evaluated preferred mating strategies of male and female targets varying in size of sex-typical features (i.e., muscles or breasts) and adiposity. Greater adiposity connoted long-term mating interest. Large muscles and breasts connoted short-term mating interests. We frame results from an affordance management framework with respect to inferences regarding parental investment and intrasexual competition.

Contextual desirability of strong men employing affiliative and aggressive humor

“…Women prefer muscular men as short‐term mates (Frederick & Haselton, 2007; Sacco, Jones, et al, 2012; Sacco, Young, et al, 2012), while also reporting similar preferences for large chests and masculinized faces (Garza & Byrd‐Craven, 2021; Jones et al, 2018; Sacco, Jones, et al, 2012; Sacco, Young, et al, 2012). Men exhibiting such features are further perceived as preferring STM (Brown, Boykin, & Sacco, 2022). This perception appears to have a kernel of truth (Polo et al, 2019), suggesting that strong men could afford reproductive opportunities with a mate exhibiting consonant mating interests (see Jonason & Buss, 2012).…”

Contextual Desirability of Strong Men Employing Affiliative and Aggressive Humor

“…Women prefer muscular men as short-term mates (Frederick & Haselton, 2007;Sacco, Jones, et al, 2012;Sacco, Young, et al, 2012), while also reporting similar preferences for large chests and masculinized faces (Garza & Byrd-Craven, 2021;Jones et al, 2018;Sacco, Jones, et al, 2012;Sacco, Young, et al, 2012). Men exhibiting such features are further perceived as preferring STM (Brown, Boykin, & Sacco, 2022). This perception appears to have a kernel of truth (Polo et al, 2019), suggesting that strong men could afford reproductive opportunities with a mate exhibiting consonant mating interests (see Jonason & Buss, 2012).…”