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The Autumn Years: Age Differences in Preferences for Sexually Dimorphic Faces
Chengyang Han1,2, Xiangqian Li3, Xiyue Chen4
1Department of Psychology, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
Archives of Sexual Behavior
|November 18, 2021
Summary
Older adults show reduced preferences for sexually dimorphic facial cues compared to younger adults. This suggests a psychological shift away from mating-related psychology with age, aligning with life history theory.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary psychology
- Human aging research
- Behavioral neuroscience
Background:
- Life history theory posits that older individuals prioritize survival over reproduction.
- The psychological manifestation of this shift, particularly in mate preferences, remains under-explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if older adults exhibit reduced psychological preferences for sexually dimorphic facial cues.
- To compare mate choice cue preferences between older (60+ years) and younger (18-40 years) adults.
Main Methods:
- Study 1: Compared preferences for sexually dimorphic facial images between older and younger adult groups.
- Study 2: Verified that observed preference differences were not due to visual acuity decline.
Main Results:
- Older adults showed significantly lower preferences for sexually dimorphic faces (both sexes) than younger adults.
- Older adults displayed minimal preference for opposite-sex dimorphic traits and reduced same-sex dimorphic trait preferences.
- Younger adults consistently preferred masculine male and feminine female faces.
Conclusions:
- Reduced preference for sexually dimorphic facial cues in older adults suggests a psychological shift away from mating.
- This finding supports the extension of life history theory to psychological domains in aging.
- The observed changes are likely linked to decreased fertility in older age groups.
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