Do Guys Prefer Face Or Body?

The answer, according to two PhD students and their professor, is both. They showed 375 college participants an image of the opposite sex with their face and body hidden. They were told to choose whether they wanted to see the person as a potential one-night stand or long term partner.

Face vs. Body

For the most part, a person’s face and body are rated equally by people who view them. However, if you were to force someone to choose between seeing only the head or the body of a person, which would they prefer? Two PhD students and their advisor, professor of psychology David Buss from the University of Texas at Austin, decided to find out. They presented 375 heterosexual college students with an image of a person and told them they could view the potential short or long-term mate’s head or their body. The researchers then asked participants to rate the attractiveness of the person.

The results showed that men who were interested in a short-term relationship preferred to see the body, while those seeking a long-term relationship zeroed in on the face. This is consistent with evolutionary theory, which suggests that a person’s body reveals more about their current fertility than their face. The study also showed that a person’s facial characteristics (complexion, ageing cues such as wrinkles) are considered more attractive than their bodily traits.

Women, however, didn’t seem to differentiate between the face and body as they viewed both equally, regardless of their intent. This could be because throughout our evolutionary history, women have been less competitive in the mating market and haven’t had a need to prioritize cues about their reproductive value in the long term.

Familiarity

Familiarity is the degree to which a person or thing is known. It is also the extent to which a person or thing is liked. People tend to like things that they are familiar with more than those they are not. This is a psychological phenomenon called the mere-exposure effect. It is also sometimes referred to as the familiarity principle.

In one study, researchers showed 375 heterosexual college students a representation of someone of the opposite sex with their head and body covered up. They were then asked whether they preferred to see the person’s face or body. Male participants who were told to evaluate the image as a potential long-term mate chose to reveal only the face; but those who were told to consider it as a possible short-term fling opted to check out the body.

Similarly, men in general rated women’s faces as more attractive than their bodies. However, there was a lot of variability across states. For example, men in Montana prized a woman’s ass above her face; while in Rhode Island they gave equal weight to the ass and her hair. And in New Hampshire, they couldn’t make up their mind — they voted equally for ass and boobs.

While it is difficult to know exactly why guys prefer one feature over another, it’s likely that familiarity plays a role. In fact, it is often said that the best way to attract a man is to become familiar with him. This can be done by introducing yourself, engaging in conversations and interacting with him. It is also a good idea to wear flattering clothes and have a positive attitude. Familiarity can also be boosted by pheromones, which are chemicals that animals secrete to communicate with others of the same species.

Pheromones

Pheromones are scent molecules secreted by animals that act as a form of invisible communication between members of the same species. Animals, including insects, birds and mammals, use pheromones to convey information such as sex, fertility, health and even social status to other members of the same species who can detect them through smell. While a lot of research has focused on the role of pheromones in other species, scientists don’t know much about them in humans.

However, it is believed that both men and women release pheromones when they interact with each other. Several studies have tried to measure the effect of pheromones on human behavior and relationships, but results have been inconsistent. For example, one study found that people who were familiar with each other rated faces as more attractive than strangers’ faces. The researchers theorized that this could be because a face is the most likely area for pheromones to be released, as it is exposed to the air more often than other body parts.

Another study found that pheromones influence how a person is perceived and can affect gender perception, attractiveness and unfaithfulness. However, the results of this study have been criticized for a lack of replication and methodology errors. It is also not clear whether the pheromones actually caused any of these effects.

In the same study, men who were exposed to the possible pheromones androstadienone and estratetraenol reported more sexual responses when they saw pictures of a woman’s body than when they didn’t. This suggests that pheromones can play a role in attraction for both men and women, but further research is needed to understand how pheromones work and what their effects are on behavior.

While many body builders and gym-goers swear by the pheromone products they buy to increase their chances of arousal, these findings suggest that pheromones might not have as much impact on physical attractiveness as once thought. Regardless of what sort of shape you’re in, you still need a pretty face to get a guy’s attention. So, don’t put those pheromone body sprays down just yet.