TY - JOUR
T1 - Sexual unfaithfulness can be judged with some accuracy from men's but not women's faces
AU - Foo, Yong Zhi
AU - Loncarevic, Antonina
AU - Simmons, Leigh W
AU - Sutherland, Clare AM
AU - Rhodes, Gillian
PY - 2019/4/17
Y1 - 2019/4/17
N2 - We routinely make judgements of trustworthiness from the faces of others. However, the accuracy of such judgements remains contentious. An important context for trustworthiness judgements is sexual unfaithfulness. Accuracy in sexual unfaithfulness judgements may be adaptive for avoiding reproductive costs associated with having an unfaithful partner. Indeed, emerging studies suggest that women, and to a lesser degree, men, show above-chance accuracy in judging sexual unfaithfulness from opposite-sex faces. In the context of mate guarding, it is important not only to assess the likelihood of a partner defecting, but also to detect same-sex poachers. Therefore, here, we examine whether individuals can also judge sexual unfaithfulness (self-reported cheating and poaching behaviour) from same-sex faces. We found above-chance accuracy in judgements of unfaithfulness from same-sex faces in men but not women. Conversely, we found above-chance accuracy for opposite-sex faces in women but not men. Therefore, both men and women showed above-chance accuracy, but only for men's, and not women's, faces. Raters were making accurate (above-chance) judgements of unfaithfulness from men's faces using facial masculinity, a well-established signal of propensity to adopt short-term mating strategies. In summary, we found above-chance accuracy in impressions of unfaithfulness from men's faces. Although very modest, the level of accuracy could nevertheless have biological significance as an evolved adaptation for identifying potential cheaters/poachers.
AB - We routinely make judgements of trustworthiness from the faces of others. However, the accuracy of such judgements remains contentious. An important context for trustworthiness judgements is sexual unfaithfulness. Accuracy in sexual unfaithfulness judgements may be adaptive for avoiding reproductive costs associated with having an unfaithful partner. Indeed, emerging studies suggest that women, and to a lesser degree, men, show above-chance accuracy in judging sexual unfaithfulness from opposite-sex faces. In the context of mate guarding, it is important not only to assess the likelihood of a partner defecting, but also to detect same-sex poachers. Therefore, here, we examine whether individuals can also judge sexual unfaithfulness (self-reported cheating and poaching behaviour) from same-sex faces. We found above-chance accuracy in judgements of unfaithfulness from same-sex faces in men but not women. Conversely, we found above-chance accuracy for opposite-sex faces in women but not men. Therefore, both men and women showed above-chance accuracy, but only for men's, and not women's, faces. Raters were making accurate (above-chance) judgements of unfaithfulness from men's faces using facial masculinity, a well-established signal of propensity to adopt short-term mating strategies. In summary, we found above-chance accuracy in impressions of unfaithfulness from men's faces. Although very modest, the level of accuracy could nevertheless have biological significance as an evolved adaptation for identifying potential cheaters/poachers.
KW - accuracy
KW - first impressions
KW - sexual unfaithfulness
KW - personality
KW - estrogen-levels
KW - determinants
KW - testosterone
KW - behavior
KW - decisions
KW - 1st impressions
KW - facial attractiveness
KW - trustworthiness
KW - judgments
UR - http://research-repository.uwa.edu.au/en/publications/sexual-unfaithfulness-can-be-judged-with-some-accuracy-from-mens-but-not-womens-faces(680c7576-6e08-43af-a225-c74eae33b9ba).html
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85065499565&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.mendeley.com/research/sexual-unfaithfulness-judged-some-accuracy-mens-not-womens-faces
U2 - 10.1098/rsos.181552
DO - 10.1098/rsos.181552
M3 - Article
C2 - 31183116
SN - 2054-5703
VL - 6
JO - Royal Society Open Science
JF - Royal Society Open Science
IS - 4
M1 - 181552
ER -