Study: Sex Drive Is Written in Our Faces

New research found an association between a person’s face and that person’s sex drive. A research team at the Nipissing University in Ontario, Canada, found that men (and women) with shorter and wider facial features are more attractive and sexually motivated than their peers with thinner and longer faces.

The latest study is in line with a large body of research that found a link between psychological traits and the width-to-height ratio of a person’s face, in short, the FWHR.

The latest analysis confirmed that women tend to perceive square-faced men as more attractive, dominant, and aggressive than their longer-faced peers. These men are more likely to become short-term sexual partners and less likely to commit to a long-term relationship.

Scientists believe the association may be caused by fluctuations in testosterone levels during puberty. Testosterone chiefly influences one person’s sex drive.

The team based their research on self-reports from a group of 459 college students engaged in romantic relationships. Volunteers were asked to answer some questions about their personal behavior and to assess their sex drive.

Face Shape Tied to Infidelity Risk

Study authors also analyzed images of these volunteers to calculate their FWHR. The analysis revealed that the higher the FWHR the higher the attractiveness and sex drive is.

In a second phase of the study, volunteers were also questioned on the likelihood of infidelity and their take on casual sex and social consequences. Men and women with higher FWHR had a more relaxed stance on casual sex or sex without love or commitment.

 “Together, these findings suggest that facial characteristics might convey important information about human sexual motivations,”

said lead author Steven Arnocky.

The study also revealed that men with a higher FWHR had a higher likelihood of being unfaithful to their partners.

The study appeared in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior.
Image Source: Pixabay