In terms of attractiveness what is more important an attractive face or hot body? Fortunately, there is a study that answers this question.
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin asked 375 college students to pick whether they would like to date a member of the opposite sex based on their looks. The catch – they had to choose to see a picture of the person’s face or their body – but not both – in determining whether to begin a relationship with the other person. They were asked this question both for a contemplated short-term relationship and for a long-term relationship.
The results? Females almost always chose to see the face, regardless of the length of the relationship. Males also chose to see the face 75 percent of the time when the question was asked regarding a potential long-term relationship. However, for short-term flings males only chose face 50 percent of the time and body 50 percent of the time.
Why might the males have answered this way (other than males are pigs)? The researchers speculated that “cues of immediate fertility which are more important to a man pursuing short-term relationships are more densely concentrated in her body than in her face. Whereas her face may have more cues of reproductive value like age and health.” For example,”skin and wrinkling gives a cue to her age and her reproductive value. So if I’m going to secure this woman for many years, I want to make sure she’s not at the tail end of the fertility window.”
So, why don’t the women care to see the males’ bodies? From the researchers again:
“There is not this huge discrepancy in cues that women are interested in, like his good genes cues and good dad cues, health and symmetry. Those are present in face and body equally.”
I am reminded of yesterday’s IFOD : Rock-Paper-Scissors
Face beats body, and wallet beats both.