Everyone has a type, be it curvy, muscular or daddy body, but it turns out that the current state of the world dictates who you’re attracted to.
Researchers at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands have found that during uncertain times, women are more likely to be attracted to resilient men like Chris Hemsworth and Jason Momoa.
This look is defined by a sharper nose and chin, a squarer jawbone, and higher cheekbones.
However, under the same circumstances, men tend to be more attracted to women with “tender” faces like Selena Gomez, which feature smoother lines, shadows, and outer facial contours, as well as more rounded lips, cheeks, and tips of the nose.
Researchers at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands have found that in uncertain times, women prefer men who look ‘tougher’. Pictured: Jason Momoa
However, in uncertain times, men tend to be more attracted to women with more “tender” faces. Pictured: results of the first study
HOW DOES INSECURITY AFFECT WHO WE DRESS?
Researchers at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands have found that in uncertain times, women prefer men who look ‘tougher’.
However, under the same circumstances, men are more likely to be attracted to women with more “tender” faces.
The authors surmise that this is due to an “increased desire for a stereotypical mate type inferred from such facial features.”
For the men, this was for a woman they see as caring, but for a woman, this is a man they see as strong as he offers[s] a sense of predictability”.
The authors suspect that this is due to the “increased desire for a stereotypical partner type that is derived from such facial features”.
For the men, this was for a woman they see as caring, but for a woman, this is a man they see as strong as he offers[s] a sense of predictability”.
“These results show that mate preferences are not fixed but are influenced by fleeting psychological states such as feelings of insecurity due to external, unpredictable events,” they wrote.
For many of us, the past few years have been chaotic to say the least, with the COVID-19 pandemic, the cost of living crisis and the ever-changing government.
These external factors can affect our health in a variety of ways, including sleep deprivation, brain fog, and depression.
Studies have shown that in times of uncertainty, people tend to seek order and structure, sometimes by increasing their support for religion, government, or conspiracy theories.
For their study, published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, the researchers wanted to examine whether periods of unpredictability affect the types of mates people choose to have.
They recruited students and individuals from the Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) labor distribution website to participate in three studies.
For the first study, participants were presented with four different male or female faces that had been digitally altered to look tougher or softer (pictured). They then had to rate them based on their attractiveness, likeability, and desire to date them
After analyzing the results of the two studies, the researchers found that women found harder male faces and stronger partners more attractive after reflecting on times of uncertainty rather than certainty. This look was defined by a sharper nose and chin, a squarer jawbone, and higher cheekbones
For the first study, 173 MTurk employees were asked to write a story of no more than 100 words about a situation in which they felt safe or unsafe and to reflect on how they felt at that time.
Certain times can be characterized by financial stability and job security, while uncertain times can be associated with financial crises or changes in the political climate.
They were then presented with four different male or female faces that had been digitally altered to look tougher or softer.
Participants were asked to rate the faces based on their attractiveness, likeability, and desire to date.
In the second study, 174 students had to write a story about an uncertain or specific period in their lives.
Next, they had to imagine that they were looking for a date and to what extent they would be attracted to a caring or strong partner.
After analyzing the results of the two studies, the researchers found that women found harder male faces and stronger partners more attractive after reflecting on times of uncertainty rather than certainty.
Men, on the other hand, valued tender faces more highly and, in uncertain circumstances, sought a more caring partner than certain ones.
However, men rated delicate faces as more attractive than certain ones in unsafe conditions. More delicate features include smoother lines, shadows, and outer facial contours, as well as rounder lips, cheeks, and tip of the nose. Pictured: Selena Gomez
In the second study, participants had to imagine searching for a date after thinking about an uncertain or definite period in their lives. They had to indicate the extent to which they would be attracted to a caring or strong partner. Pictured: results of the second study
For the third study, 141 college students were asked to either think of a caring partner who “does [them] feel comfortable and comfort” or a strong partner who “offers protection and [they] that I can rely on when needed”.
They were then asked to imagine they were looking for someone who met those requirements and asked to rate the faces from the first study for attractiveness.
The results showed that people perceived delicate facial features as nurturing and harder facial features as strong when presented by the opposite sex.
The researchers wrote: “We show that when faced with uncertainty, women are more likely to be attracted to men with harder than more delicate features, while men are more attracted to women with more delicate than harder features.
“These findings have implications for our understanding of how and why mate preferences are affected by uncertainty.”
For the third study, students were asked to think of either a caring partner or a strong partner. They were then asked to imagine that they were looking for someone to match that assignment and were asked to rate faces with delicate or hard features for attractiveness. Pictured: results of the third study
Women prefer men with muscular shoulders and torsos — but only if they’re TALL, the study claims
While the “father’s body” was once thought to be the most attractive physique for men, a study suggests that may not be the case anymore.
Research has found that if men want to look better, they should build muscle around their pecs and biceps — although it may not work if they’re short.
According to experts, a higher “shoulder-to-hip ratio” (SHR) — larger circumference around the shoulders than around the waist — is a sign of attractiveness.
However, men who aren’t very tall may not be able to change a woman’s perception of how attractive they are — even with a lot of muscle build-up, the study found.
Read more here