Body odor quality predicts behavioral attractiveness in humans
S Craig Roberts1, Alexandra Kralevich, Camille Ferdenzi
1School of Biological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK. craig.roberts@stir.ac.uk
Archives of Sexual Behavior
|September 1, 2011
Summary
Attractive nonverbal behavior in men is linked to pleasant body odor, suggesting kinesic cues reliably signal mate quality. This study explores the covariation between physical traits and nonverbal communication in mate assessment.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary psychology
- Human behavior
- Sensory perception
Background:
- Understanding covariation of attractive traits can indicate genetic quality.
- Previous research focused on facial attractiveness, body odor, 2D:4D ratio, and BMI.
- Kinesic cues (nonverbal behavior) are independent of structural traits but their utility in mate assessment is debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between kinesic cues and other physical traits in mate assessment.
- To determine if nonverbal behavior attractiveness is predicted by axillary odor quality.
- To explore correlations between nonverbal behavior, body odor, BMI, and 2D:4D ratio.
Main Methods:
- Assessed kinesic cues (nonverbal behavior) in 20 male participants.
- Collected ratings on attractiveness of nonverbal behavior and axillary odor quality from female raters.
- Analyzed relationships between kinesic cues, axillary odor, body mass index (BMI), and second-to-fourth digit (2D:4D) ratio.
Main Results:
- Attractiveness of nonverbal behavior was predicted by perceived axillary body odor quality.
- Significant relationships were found between nonverbal behavior attractiveness and BMI.
- Axillary odor pleasantness consistently predicted attractiveness of nonverbal behavior.
Conclusions:
- Nonverbal kinesic cues can reliably indicate mate quality in males.
- Kinesic cues corroborate mate assessment based on other physical traits like body odor and BMI.
- Covariation exists between desirable traits across different sensory modalities.
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