Random intercepts were included for participant and stimulus, with random slopes specified maximally. First, we analyzed preference scores using a mixed effect model using lmer and lmerTest with the between-subject factor partnership status (effect coded partnered = 0.5, unpartnered = -0.5), and the covariate participant age (centered and scaled on mean of sample).
Data, analysis code, and full results output are publicly available at. Preferences for masculinity in men’s faces were assessed using the same procedure as previous research on gay men’s face preferences.Īnalyses were conducted using R v3.4.3. In light of the above, the current study compared the masculinity preferences of 432 partnered gay men and 186 unpartnered gay men. found that partnered Czech gay men showed weaker preferences for masculinity in men’s faces than did unpartnered Czech gay men. While Zheng found that partnered Chinese gay men showed stronger preferences for masculinity in men’s faces than did unpartnered Chinese gay men (similar to findings regarding partnered heterosexual women), Valentova et al. One intriguing inconsistency in this emerging literature on gay men’s preferences for masculinity in men’s faces concerns the association between partnership status (being in a relationship versus not being in a relationship) on masculinity preferences. For example, studies have reported that gay men reporting lower sexual desire or who prefer the penetrative role during intercourse show weaker preferences for masculinity in men’s faces. However, a smaller literature has emerged recently examining gay men’s preferences for masculinity in men’s faces. Most research on preferences for masculinity in men’s faces has focused on heterosexual women’s preferences. Such effects are thought to occur because partnered women are less motivated to secure mates with prosocial traits, but may still seek masculine short-term mates who can father healthier and/or more dominant offspring. For example, heterosexual women who are currently in a romantic relationship tend to show stronger preferences for masculinized versions of male faces than do heterosexual women not currently in a romantic relationship. Given both groups of personality traits can be valuable in a romantic partner, many studies have investigated factors that might influence how heterosexual women resolve this apparent trade-off between the potential advantages and disadvantages of choosing a masculine partner. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Ĭompeting interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.Įxaggerating masculine characteristics in images of men’s faces increases perceptions of their dominance and aggressiveness, while decreasing perceptions of their trustworthiness and emotional warmth. įunding: European Research Council award to LMD (KINSHIP). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.ĭata Availability: Data, analysis code, and full results output are publicly available at. Received: AugAccepted: JanuPublished: March 5, 2020Ĭopyright: © 2020 Cassar et al. PLoS ONE 15(3):Įditor: Alex Jones, Swansea University, UNITED KINGDOM Citation: Cassar R, Shiramizu V, DeBruine LM, Jones BC (2020) No evidence that partnered and unpartnered gay men differ in their preferences for male facial masculinity.