Which do you prefer - a pretty boy or more of a masculine face? It turns out that women's taste in men could be affected by whether they live in a healthy country or not.Psychologists say that women are more inclined towards feminine faces in healthy countries, while in countries where disease is rife women are more attracted to masculine features (where a strong genetic make-up is critical for survival).
Lead researcher Lisa DeBruine from Aberdeen University explains: "When women are choosing a mate, they're weighing up two different things.
"On the one hand a really attractive, high genetic quality mate will give them very healthy offspring. On the other, there is getting "investment" from a mate – one who'll be a good dad."
"Men who are really attractive tend to be able to pursue whatever mating strategy is best for them," she added. "They are more likely to prefer short-term relationships. More feminine men tend to be better providers."
The study looked at the preferences of 4,794 women across 30 different countries using computer generated images of masculine (heavier jawed men) versus softer male faces.
Women in Mexico, one of the least healthy countries in the study, preferred more manly faces 54% of the time, compared with only 32% of the time for women in the healthiest countries, such as Sweden.
"Certain environmental factors shift the balance when a woman is choosing a mate, and health is one of those. If a woman lives in an environment where there are lots of pathogens and disease, they are more likely to trade off a good investment in favour of better health for their children," DeBruine said. "In places where health is less of an issue, women are not so willing to do that."
In case you're wondering, women in the UK preferred masculine faces 43% of the time. According to the theory, this reveals we're a reasonably healthy nation with a taste for pretty, feminine boys.
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Wednesday 31 March
By Jerome Peter
It has already been proven that the work of female anthropologists is untrustworthy as they cannot seperate themselves from their work emotionally and subconsciously rig their own surveys to reach conclusions that suit whatever they want to believe.
Looks like the formerly respectable profession of psychology is going the same way.
'More feminine men tend to be better providers'. Lol! I would say that I would take this with a pinch of salt but that would be unhealthy and make me a crap dad, unless of course I had a jawline like Desperate Dan. I don't suppose this 'lead' psychologist is masculine by any chance and wants to wear the pants in her relationships and is trying to justify herself and induce other women into following her lead. Doctor cure thyself methinks.
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Friday 02 April
By Christine
This is silly! It has nothing to do with health. The mediterranean diet is the healthiest in the world and Italian, Greek, Spanish and Portuguese women tend to like a more tradionally masculine look. So how is that explained by this theory? The reason British women prefer pretty boys nowadays is because that's what the media tells us to like by glamourising that look. For example, look at the men portrayed as heart-throbs by the media (that is to say, the men given the leading man roles in movies, the men asked to model the latest fashion, etc): David Beckham, Orlando Bloom, Robert Pattinson. Quite feminine, pretty boys. Contrast that with the men considered the heart throbs of yester-year. Harrison Ford, Robert Redford, Sean Connery, George Clooney, Tom Jones, etc. They are more masculine. Has the Western woman's taste really changed so much because of the change in our health? It's all to do with the style of look that is promoted in the media. It's the same with men. Men loved curvy, girly women in the past, Marilyn Monroe, Ursula Andress, Raquel Welch, etc. But now men seem to like slimmer, more androgynous women: Megan Fox, Cheryl Cole, etc. It's all to do with the style of look that is promoted through the media.
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Thursday 01 April
By David
I agree, Media plays a large part. They try and tell the public who they should like, and if they say it enough we go along. there is also a herd mentality, where people say they find a person attractive, because all their friends think so. I don't particular find of the Women attractive that the media is currently pushing, for example Cheryl Cole.
I agree with Christine, the masculine heartthrobs of yesterday, at their prime, were and still are as attractive to women as the more feminine men quoted. At least my wife thinks so.
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Thursday 01 April
By kath
Psychologists state all types of things but at the end of the day all of these theories and ideas can be challenged and explored. Just because a psychologist says it doesn't mean it's so!
I mean where are these "healthy" countries, how have they detrmined healthy - is it by wealth, rates of chronic illness, death rates? In terms of longevity a woman in Slovenia will live longer than a woman in UK - but which country would be deemed healthier? The psychologist stated "really attractive" What is really attractive? How can you quanitfy really attractive - you cannot it is subjective. There are so many factors involved in attraction - culture for one - in South America, caribbean and Africa larger women are viewed as far more sexy, beautiful and sensual than tends to be in europe.
Where were these surveys carried out?
I could go on all day..... lol
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Thursday 01 April
By jez
yet another attempt at social control methinks. Both science and psychology have yet to recognise openly that the whatever the subject matter, they influence it by their presence, and that they are in turn, led by the media. The media tells us that 'looks are important' and yet only the glamorous few have the right look. However, people of all shapes and sizes manage to have good relationships without fitting this apparent norm. Also, this study doesn't explain why, having achieved your pretty boy/girl and thus the perfect relationship, it tends to end in tears... Bullock, Cole, Daly et al. Anyone who falls for this hype needs a lobotomy!
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Thursday 01 April
By Mr Man
I think women are just as shallow as men. In fact im willing to bet looks are a bigger factor for women than for men. I used to have long hair and was often mistaken for a girl. Women then showed me attention i have not seen since i shaved it all off. Some of it was nice attention like a warm smile but most of it was annoying like tugging my hair and stroking it in public places.
But since i got rid of it and grew some stubble to beef myself up i have not been bothered since. So i think alot of women do like pretty boys and react different to them than to masculine ones. But in the end its down to personal preference and vanity.
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Thursday 01 April
By Polly Pocket
That must be why so many women (of all ages) love Robert Pattinson - he's very pretty & has a lovely masculine square jaw - best of both methinks!
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Friday 02 April
By Christine
You have got to be kidding Polly. Robert Pattinson is the girliest male of them all!