The metrics of the human face can be used to predict sexual psychology, according to a report published in Archives of Sexual Behavior. Two studies conducted in Canadian universities revealed the first evidence linking wider facial dimensions to higher sex drive, higher intention to cheat on a partner and extreme comfort with casual sex.
While male participants reported significantly higher sex drive than women, wider facial metrics are equally related to sex drive for both genders.
The Facial Width-to-Height Ratio (FWHR), the width of the face divided by the height of the upper face, had been used in previous research to link wider facial dimensions to psychological and behavioral characteristics in men such as dominance, psychopathy, and aggressiveness. This study is the first to link FWHR to sexual psychology in both males and females.
Higher testosterone levels have been associated with FWHR during the first stages of human development. This hormone plays a significant role in sexual attitudes and desires in young adults, which explains why men with high testosterone are less likely to be faithful to a romantic partner and more prone to embrace casual sex.
In other words, there is enough scientific evidence to say that testosterone is linked to sex drive, which is the intensity of people’s sexual motivation. In men, low testosterone has been related to erectile dysfunction, as well as low libido. On the other hand, low levels of this hormone in the female body have been linked to sexual desire disorders.
Although the present study revealed that men have a higher sex drive than women, the hormone is a key player in the sexual life of humans regardless of gender, which is why the researchers decided to test their hypothesis by reaching participants of both sexes.
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For the first study, more than 140 students provided a facial photograph and answered questionnaires about their interpersonal and social behavior. After using two raters to measure facial width-to-height ratio, the researchers asked the students four questions to measure the intensity of their sex drive.
The participants used Likert-type scales to say how often they had sexual desire, how often they experienced orgasm and masturbate in the average month, and how they would compare their own level of sex drive with that of the average person according to their gender and age. These are what the Sex Drive Questionnaire consists of.
A second study was conducted to examine intended infidelity and sociosexual orientation, which is related to one’s attitude towards casual sex. A restricted sociosexual orientation means that an individual is not interested in sex without commitment, whereas an open orientation is associated with polygamy. Sex drive and these additional variables can be related to one another but have different meanings. For example, a person can be high in sex drive but only interested in one sexual partner instead of multiple partners.
As for infidelity, sociosexuality is not directly linked to the cheating intentions, according to the paper. What the evidence reveals is that the face structure predicts a person’s sex drive, their attitude towards monogamy, and intentions of committing infidelity.
The researchers recommend further studies to identify the effects of FWHR in teenagers’ sexual psychology. They also suggest future research to reveal whether these results remain throughout adulthood or are exclusive to college life.
Source: Archives of Sexual Behavior