Sexual intentions are written all over your face
by Amy Strachman | April 10th, 2008Some people are looking for that special someone—a long term and committed sexual relationship. While others are looking for something a bit more casual—a short term sexual relationship without commitment. When searching for a partner, how can you tell which type of relationship they are interested in?
Researcher Lynda Boothroyd and colleagues surveyed about 700 heterosexual people at universities in the United Kingdom to explore our ability to judge sexual strategies based on specific facial cues.
The results showed that members of the opposite sex are able to determine whether someone is looking for a short-term or long-term sexual relationship. In fact, one of the surveys found that 72% of the participants correctly identified the sexual attitudes of men and women after being shown photographs or facial images.
Women perceived men with softer facial features as more likely to want a committed sexual relationship; whereas men with a square jaw, large nose, and small eyes were perceived as more interested in short-term sexual relationships. Men were able to accurately determine if a woman was interested in a short-term or long-term relationship, however, there were no specific facial features used in this determination.
As for which faces were more attractive, the facial composites of women who were interested in short-term sexual relationships were perceived as more attractive by both men and women. In contrast, the facial composites of men who were interested in long-term sexual relationships were perceived as more attractive by women.
The results of this study suggest that we use even subtle facial cues when determining the sexual intentions of a potential partner. Luckily, we seem to be pretty accurate in our perceptions.
Further Reading:
How to identify the look of love—or lust. Reuters News, April 9, 2008.
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April 14th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
I do not agree with the findings i this particular article. My opinion is that men are able to tell what women want from them by the way the woman looks at him, and by her staring at his eyes alot when they are engaged in conversation, and if she crosses her arms alot or not when she is looking at him: men are better alot better at reading if a woman is receptive to his advances or not, but men are usually more selfish in their interests and some will be aggressive and proceed to engage in conversation even where he is clearly unwelcome much more often than a female will. i believe the biggest factor to be the presence of the hormone TESTOSTERONE: women over 40, whose estrogen has dropped, become more assertive over their own likes dislikes and take their power back much better, and more like a man, than say a young impressionable girl in her teens or twenties. A woman in her thirties is the perfect age to find a man to marry: why? she is at her peak in more ways than one. And may not ever find someone so well again later in life if she fails to lacate her lifes partner by the age 40. Men are not attracted nearly as much to an aging female. That, is just a simple biological fact, whether anyone likes it or not. Women are valued for their beauty, and everyone knows it. Beauty fades with age, and it’s just a simple fact of life.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
ok - so next time i see a guy with a square jaw, beady eyes and a big nose, i should run away. stupid. oh - and a girl who puts way too much effort in her looks is looking for, uh, sex - duh
April 16th, 2008 at 12:26 am
Eden - consider proof reading: “And may not ever find someone so well again later in life if she fails to lacate her lifes partner by the age 40.”
So, if we don’t breast feed a man by age 40, we can’t find one?
April 17th, 2008 at 8:31 am
I dont agree with you on this. I have seen some of the most handsome men and they are not after sex, but friendships. I also know for a fact that men with sqaure jaws are not after short term relationships. Who came up with this idea? Everyone is different and it isnt the looks, it is what is on the inside that counts. I am not going to sterotype anyone, because I dont want that happening to me. Get to know someone. The only way to figure out what they want and what you want/need. Life is good.
May 4th, 2008 at 3:03 am
Pat, sorry, I think you missed it too.
“So, if we don’t breast feed a man by age 40, we can’t find one?”
Lacate has nothing to do with breatfeeding. As a matter of fact, there is no such a word in the English dictionary. The right word is “lactate”. Even then, to lactate simply means “to secrete milk”, not breastfeed. Millions of women secrete milk all the time without the specific act of breasfeeding.
Just a little correction.
Now, back to this nonscientific science.
There is nothing in the facial structure of any man that reveals his intentions, sexual or otherwise. Men with round jaws have been known to be playboys, and those with square jaws have behaved responsibly. For one, I think the result is reflective of the previous experiences of the respondents. Maybe some of these women had met playboys in the past with square jaws and coarse facial features. But there is nothing to shout about this.
Women who exhibit too much flirty behavior will generally be thought to be looking for sex. We don’t need some so-called scientisits to tell us that. I think common sense has already done a better job.
People should spend their time on worthwhile ventures, not try to tell us that fire is hot or that it can be cold in winter. duh
May 17th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Interesting comments, but take a look at the pictures in either of the two “further reading” articles. Look at the pictures of both the guy and the girl before you read the information below them and make a judgment about which one would be more likely to want a committed relationship. It’s pretty interesting what you can figure out from a quick look at a face.
Studies like this are skewed, of course. Like in this case, the participants (the observers and the the faces observed) are all in their 20s. And as the article says, the women who were perceived as being the ones out for sex rather than commitment were viewed as more desirable, which is — DUH — these guys are their 20s.
I wonder what the results would be if the same study was done with 30+ or 40+ singles? It might even make a difference if they divided the study in each age group between those that had been married or in a long term committed relationship vs. those who had not. In my experience, at least for divorced women who are looking for a committed relationship rather than just sex, as we get older we achieve a balance between being very comfortable with ourselves and expressing our sexuality and preferring to be in a committed relationship. I wonder what a woman’s face would show who was in that place in her life, because it’s like having the “carefreeness” of a 20 year old but in a committed relationship.
May 24th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
oh my gosh this is too funny… not to get too far off subject, but Eden meant locate, not lactate… ha ha ha… you all are funny.