Abstract
Recent studies investigating the relationship between sexual desire and sexual attraction have found that heterosexual women’s
reported sexual desire is positively correlated with their reported attraction to both own- and opposite-sex individuals,
but that heterosexual men’s reported sexual desire is positively correlated with their reported attraction to opposite-sex
individuals only. These findings have led to the proposal that sexual desire is a generalized energizer of sexual attraction
in heterosexual women (i.e., influences women’s attraction to both men and women), but only energizes heterosexual men’s sexual
attraction to women. Here we show that heterosexual men’s scores on the Sexual Desire Inventory-2 were positively correlated
with their preferences for exaggerated sex-typical shape cues in opposite-sex, but not own-sex, faces. Together with previous
research showing that heterosexual women’s reported sexual desire is positively correlated with their preferences for exaggerated
sex-typical shape cues in both own- and opposite-sex faces, our findings present novel converging evidence for sex-specific
relationships between sexual desire and attractiveness judgments of own- and opposite-sex individuals.
reported sexual desire is positively correlated with their reported attraction to both own- and opposite-sex individuals,
but that heterosexual men’s reported sexual desire is positively correlated with their reported attraction to opposite-sex
individuals only. These findings have led to the proposal that sexual desire is a generalized energizer of sexual attraction
in heterosexual women (i.e., influences women’s attraction to both men and women), but only energizes heterosexual men’s sexual
attraction to women. Here we show that heterosexual men’s scores on the Sexual Desire Inventory-2 were positively correlated
with their preferences for exaggerated sex-typical shape cues in opposite-sex, but not own-sex, faces. Together with previous
research showing that heterosexual women’s reported sexual desire is positively correlated with their preferences for exaggerated
sex-typical shape cues in both own- and opposite-sex faces, our findings present novel converging evidence for sex-specific
relationships between sexual desire and attractiveness judgments of own- and opposite-sex individuals.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-5
- DOI 10.1007/s10508-010-9721-1
- Authors
- Benedict C. Jones, School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
- Anthony C. Little, Department of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, UK
- Christopher D. Watkins, School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
- Lisa L. M. Welling, Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA USA
- Lisa M. DeBruine, School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
- Journal Archives of Sexual Behavior
- Online ISSN 1573-2800
- Print ISSN 0004-0002