Seven deadly sins of potential romantic partners: The dealbreakers of mate choice

Many researchers have proposed that straight men prefer women’s faces displaying feminine shape characteristics at least partly because mating with such women will produce healthier offspring. Although a prediction of this adaptation-for-mate-choice hypothesis is that straight men will show stronger preferences for feminized versus masculinized versions of women’s faces than will gay men, only one previous study has directly tested this prediction. Here we directly replicated that study by comparing 623 gay and 3163 straight men’s preferences for feminized versus masculinized versions of faces. Consistent with the adaptation-for-mate-choice hypothesis of straight men’s femininity preferences, we found that straight men showed significantly stronger preferences for feminized female faces than did gay men. Consistent with previous research suggesting that gay men place a premium on masculinity in potential romantic partners, we also found that gay men showed significantly stronger preferences for masculinized versions of male faces than did straight men. Together, these findings indicate the sexual orientation contributes to individual differences in men’s face preferences.

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Sexual orientation predicts men’s preferences for sexually dimorphic face-shape characteristics: A replication study

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0242262 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (11) ◽

pp. e0242262

Author(s):

Victor Shiramizu ◽

Ciaran Docherty ◽

Lisa M. DeBruine ◽

Benedict C. Jones

Keyword(s):

Sexual Orientation ◽

Individual Differences ◽

Mate Choice ◽

Gay Men ◽

Romantic Partners ◽

Replication Study ◽

Sexually Dimorphic ◽

Face Shape ◽

Shape Characteristics

Many researchers have proposed that straight men prefer women’s faces displaying feminine shape characteristics at least partly because mating with such women will produce healthier offspring. Although a prediction of this adaptation-for-mate-choice hypothesis is that straight men will show stronger preferences for feminized versus masculinized versions of women’s faces than will gay men, only one previous study has directly tested this prediction. Here we directly replicated that study by comparing 623 gay and 3163 straight men’s preferences for feminized versus masculinized versions of faces. Consistent with the adaptation-for-mate-choice hypothesis of straight men’s femininity preferences, we found that straight men showed significantly stronger preferences for feminized female faces than did gay men. Consistent with previous research suggesting that gay men place a premium on masculinity in potential romantic partners, we also found that gay men showed significantly stronger preferences for masculinized versions of male faces than did straight men. Together, these findings indicate the sexual orientation contributes to individual differences in men’s face preferences.

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An Initial Investigation of Suicide Attempt Disclosures Among US Veterans

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910/a000727 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Brooke A. Ammerman ◽

Sarah P. Carter ◽

Heather M. Gebhardt ◽

Jonathan Buchholz ◽

Mark A. Reger

Keyword(s):

Suicide Attempt ◽

Mental Health Professionals ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Psychiatric Treatment ◽

Small Sample Size ◽

Romantic Partners ◽

Small Sample ◽

Professional Care ◽

Patient Disclosure ◽

Previous Suicide Attempt

Abstract. Background: Patient disclosure of prior suicidal behaviors is critical for effectively managing suicide risk; however, many attempts go undisclosed. Aims: The current study explored how responses following a suicide attempt disclosure may relate to help-seeking outcomes. Method: Participants included 37 veterans with a previous suicide attempt receiving inpatient psychiatric treatment. Veterans reported on their most and least helpful experiences disclosing their suicide attempt to others. Results: Veterans disclosed their suicide attempt to approximately eight individuals. Mental health professionals were the most cited recipient of their most helpful disclosure; romantic partners were the most common recipient of their least helpful disclosures. Positive reactions within the context of the least helpful disclosure experience were positively associated with a sense of connection with the disclosure recipient. Positive reactions within the most helpful disclosure experience were positively associated with the likelihood of future disclosure. No reactions were associated with having sought professional care or likelihood of seeking professional care. Limitations: The results are considered preliminary due to the small sample size. Conclusion: Findings suggest that while positive reactions may influence suicide attempt disclosure experiences broadly, additional research is needed to clarify factors that drive the decision to disclose a suicide attempt to a professional.

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