Femininity-masculinity and attractiveness – Associations between self-ratings, third-party ratings and objective measures

Abstract

Femininity-masculinity affects perceived attractiveness and indicates biosocial qualities. Physiological and morphological femininity-masculinity is primarily influenced by reproductive hormones; however, its perception is mediated biopsychosocially, and it is not clear if self- and other-rated femininity-masculinity is associated. We examined possible associations between self-rated, other-rated, and measured femininity-masculinity and attractiveness of faces, voices, and behavior (dance) in a target sample of 41 women and 38 men, aged 18–35 years, from Brazil. We took their facial photos, recorded voices and dancing behavior, and we measured sexual dimorphism of facial shape, vocal fundamental frequency, and performed behavioral analysis of the videos. These participants self-rated their facial, vocal, and behavioral femininity-masculinity and attractiveness. Sixty-four (43 women) and 51 (28 women) Brazilian students, aged 18–35 years, independently rated facial, vocal and behavioral femininity-masculinity and attractiveness, respectively, of the target sample. In general, men's self-rated femininity-masculinity and attractiveness correlated with third-party ratings. Male voice pitch correlated with self- and other-rated femininity-masculinity. In women, there was no association between self-ratings and third-party ratings, or between self-ratings and objective measures of femininity-masculinity. Women's subjective perceptions thus do not reflect perceptions of others or objective measures. Studies using different measures of attractiveness or femininity-masculinity should thus reflect upon this discrepancy.