Study: Geoffrey Miller (2000)

Study: Lopes et al (2004)

-> Evolution equips humans with the "mate choice mechanism" which functions to evaluate the reproductive consequences getting ("mating") with an individual of the opposite gender.

One factor that predicts both a man's genetic quality and his ability to invest is the man's formidability ( fighting ability or the holding power/potential). Woman these days, should habe mate choice mechanisms to the upper body of men, because really important component of a man's ability to fight is his upper body strength.

Evolutionary Advantage theory: suggests that symmetry indicates successful gene expression + the ability to withstand developmental stressors (e.g. disease and malnutrition).

Study: Little et al. (2011)

(Perception and Deception: Human Beauty and the Brain - PMC)

"Our research further supports that the human capacity for prosociality may have developed through sexual selection for kind behaviors, highlighting the deep-rooted nature of kindness in human interactions."

Xu, Yijia (2025)

Many studies have had participants view manipulated photos that make the subject be more pink, and more blue, with the participants perceiving those who have pink undertones as more attractive.

Wrinkles and dryness have also been linked to less reproductive health because this declines with age. Aditionally, hormones have a great effect on skin appearance and texture and those with hormonal imbalances are more prone to skin imperfections.

Study: Ikeda et al (2020)

Study: Laeng et al (2007)

Study: Pazhoohi & Kingstone (2020)

BUT

The main reason is social conditioning. Through the rise of media, yellow and crooked teeth are seen as unattractive due to constant advertisement for bleaching toothpaste. Now, getting teeth shaved down, and fake ones put on top is seen as normal (turkey teeth).

--> Having off-white or yellow-white teeth is completely normal and an actual sign of health. It is a bone, after all.

Colin A and Gayle Brewers (2012)

A key theory is that muscularity indicates “good genes.” High muscle mass and strength often correlate with higher testosterone and overall health, which could suggest a stronger immune system or superior genetics.

Through an evolutionary perspective, relatively tall men may be preferred by women because taller height is a cue to dominance, social status, access to resources, and heritable fitness, leading them to have more mating opportunities and sex partners. The primary goal of this study was to examine whether height is linked to sexual history for men in ways that are predictable based on mating market and evolutionary perspectives. The results for men suggested limited variation in reported sex partner number across most of the height continuum, but that very short men report fewer partners than other men. The study looks more into height comparison to others rather than actual height, depending on the average height in their community-

Study: Frederick et al, 2015

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10480972/

A study was conducted to see if editing lip size of images of people would make them appear more attractive to both females and males. It was found that the images of men were deemed more attractive with their natural lips slightly contracted, and the female images with slightly expanded lips were announced as more attractive.

When further investigating the answers it was noticed that the images of women with expanded lips were only deemed more attractive by the female participants, where the males preferred the natural lips in the original images.

The parallel was shown for the male images, women preferred the natural lips whereas men deemed the thinner lips to be more attractive.

The attractiveness of plumped lips is likely a societal norm created mostly by women for women, where there is no evidence, in this study, that men find women with plumper lips inherently more attractive.

The same with men, women are not more attracted to men with thin lips, it is a male created view of attractiveness.

David Alais

https://www.psypost.org/surprising-finding-emerges-from-psychology-study-on-lip-size-and-attractiveness/

The skin, our largest organ, is a visible mirror of internal physiology and a signal to others of vitality, fertility, and youth. A face with even, luminous skin suggests hydration, efficient nutrition, minimal illness, and robust physiological functioning. Research supports this: for example, one experimental study found that increasing dietary carotenoids, which are pigments found in colorful fruits and vegetables, altered skin color to increase perceived health and attractiveness in men (Stephen et al., 2017). The role of dietary carotenoids has been especially important in this regard, since higher skin yellowness from carotenoids is consistently associated with higher attractiveness ratings. From an evolutionary perspective, glowing and even skin may have served as a shorthand cue to health and reproductive fitness, making such traits more attractive in mate selection.

The Psychological Effect

Beyond how others perceive us, glowing skin also seems to influence how we see ourselves, and that has ripple effects on social and psychological dynamics. When someone’s skin looks vibrant and even, observers tend automatically to attribute positive qualities such as competence, approachability, and success. These findings suggest that skin appearance triggers quick and subtle inferences about health and character. On the self-perception side, although direct experimental work is less common, large surveys link dermatological concerns like blemishes, uneven tone, or sensitivity with lower self-confidence and self-perceived attractiveness. When your skin looks radiant, you are more likely to feel good about how you look, which can translate into more open posture, greater initiative in social settings, and enhanced attractiveness. Confidence from healthy-looking skin becomes part of the signal.

The evolutionary explanation for the attractiveness of male voice tone focuses on how a deeper pitch signals biological fitness. A low-pitched male voice is associated with higher testosterone levels, strength, and dominance, which in ancestral environments indicated good genes and the ability to protect and provide. These qualities increased chances of survival and reproductive success. In evolutionary psychology, voice tone acts as a “fitness indicator,” meaning it reflects traits like health, masculinity, and social status that are beneficial for mate selection. Women’s preference for deeper voices, especially during fertile phases, suggests an evolved mechanism for identifying partners with strong genetic potential.

Study:

The influence of male voice tone on women’s perception of attractiveness.