Preferences for partners with symmetric and sex-typical faces are well documented and considered evidence for the good-genes theory of mate choice. However, it is unclear whether preferences for these traits drive the real-world selection of mates. In two samples of young heterosexual couples from the United Kingdom (Study 1) and the United States (Study 2), the authors found assortment for facial symmetry but not for sex typicality or independently rated attractiveness. Within-couple similarity in these traits did not predict relationship duration or quality, although female attractiveness and relationship duration were negatively correlated among couples in which the woman was the more attractive partner. The authors conclude that humans may mate assortatively on facial symmetry, but this remains just one of the many physical and nonphysical traits to which people likely attend when forming romantic partnerships. This is also the first evidence that preferences for symmetry transfer from the laboratory to a real-world setting.
Al-Eisa, E., Egan, D., & Wassersug, R. ( 2004). Fluctuating asymmetry and low back pain. Human Evolution and Behavior, 25, 31-37.
2.
Baron, R.A., Markman, G.D., & Bollinger, M. ( 2006). Exporting social psychology: Effects of attractiveness on perceptions of entrepreneurs, their ideas for new products, and their financial success. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 36, 467-492.
3.
Bereczkei, T., Gyuris, P., Koves, P., & Bernath, L. ( 2002). Homogamy, genetic similarity, and imprinting: Parental influence on mate choice preferences. Personality and Individual Differences, 33, 677-690.
4.
Bereczkei, T., Gyuris, P., & Weisfeld, G.E. (2004). Sexual imprinting in human mate choice. Proceedings of the Royal Society B- Biological Sciences, 271, 1129-1134.
5.
Berry, D.S., & McArthur, L.Z. (1985). Some components and consequences of a babyface. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 48, 312-323.
6.
Blum, J.S., & Mehrabian, A. ( 1999). Personality and temperament correlates of marital satisfaction . Journal of Personality, 67, 93-125.
7.
Burriss, R.P., Little, A.C., & Nelson, E.C. ( 2007). 2D:4D and sexually dimorphic facial characteristics. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 36, 377-384.
8.
Buss, D.M. ( 1989). Sex differences in human mate preferences: Evolutionary hypotheses tested in 37 cultures. Behavioral and Brain Sciences , 12, 1-14.
9.
Buston, P.M., & Emlen, S.T. ( 2003). Cognitive processes underlying human mate choice: The relationship between self-perception and mate preference in Western society . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 100, 8805-8810.
10.
Cornwell, R.E., & Perrett, D.I. ( 2008). Sexy sons and sexy daughters: The influence of parents’ facial characteristics on offspring. Animal Behaviour, 76, 1843-1853.
11.
DeBruine, L.M. ( 2004). Facial resemblance increases the attractiveness of same-sex face more than other-sex faces. Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 271, 2085-2090.
12.
DeBruine, L.M. ( 2005). Trustworthy but not lust-worthy: Context-specific effects of facial resemblance. Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 272, 919-922.
13.
DeBruine, L.M., Jones, B.C., Little, A.C., Boothroyd, L.G., Perrett, D.I., Penton-Voak, I.S., ... Tiddeman, B.P. ( 2006). Correlated preferences for facial masculinity and ideal or actual partner’s masculinity. Proceedings of the Royal Society B- Biological Sciences, 273, 1355-1360.
14.
Diener, E., Wolsic, B., & Fujita, F. ( 1995). Physical attractiveness and subjective well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 120-129.
15.
D’Onofrio, B.M.D., Eaves, L.J., Murrelle, L., Maes, H.H., & Spilka, B. ( 1999). Understanding biological and social influences on religious affiliation, attitudes, and behaviors: A behavior genetic perspective. Journal of Personality, 67, 953-984.
16.
Duckworth, R.A., Mendonca, M.T., & Hill, G.E. ( 2001). A condition dependent link between testosterone and disease resistance in the house finch. Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 268, 2467-2472.
Feingold, A. ( 1988). Matching for attractiveness in romantic partners and same-sex friends: A meta-analysis and theoretical critique. Psychological Bulletin, 104, 226-235.
19.
Feng, D., & Baker, L. ( 1994). Spouse similarity in attitudes, personality, and psychological well-being. Behavior Genetics, 24, 357-364.
20.
Fink, B., Grammer, K., Mitteroecker, P., Gunz, P., Schaefer, K., Bookstein, F.L., & Manning, J.T. ( 2005). Second to fourth digit ratio and face shape. Proceedings of the Royal Society B- Biological Sciences, 272, 1995-2001.
21.
Fink, B., Neave, N., Manning, J.T., & Grammer, K. ( 2006). Facial symmetry and judgements of attractiveness, health and personality. Personality and Individual Differences, 41, 491-499.
22.
Følstad, I., & Karter, A.J. ( 1992). Parasites, bright males and the immunocompetence handicap . American Naturalist, 139, 603-622.
23.
Grammer, K., & Thornhill, R. ( 1994). Human (Homo sapiens) facial attractiveness and sexual selection: The role of symmetry and averageness. Journal of Comparative Psychology, 108, 233-242.
24.
Griffin, D., Murray, S., & Gonzalez, R. ( 1999). Difference score correlations in relationship research: A conceptual primer. Personal Relationships, 6, 505-518.
25.
Griffiths, R.W., & Kunz, P.R. ( 1973). Assortative mating: A study of physiognomic homogamy . Social Biology, 20, 448-453.
26.
Hasselquist, D., March, J.A., Sherman, P.W., & Wingfield, J.C. (1999). Is avian humoral immunocompetence suppressed by testosterone?Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology , 45, 167-175.
27.
Hendrick, C. ( 1988). A generic measure of relationship satisfaction. Journal of Marriage and Family, 50, 93-98.
28.
Hendrick, S.S., Dicke, A., & Hendrick, C. ( 1998). The Relationship Assessment Scale. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 15, 137-142.
29.
Hennessy, R.J., McLearie, S., Kinsella, A., & Waddington, J.L. (2005). Facial surface analysis by 3D laser scanning and geometric morphometrics in relation to sexual dimorphism in cerebral-craniofacial morphogenesis and cognitive function. Journal of Anatomy, 207, 283-295.
30.
Hillgarth, N., & Wingfield, J.C. (1997). Testosterone and immunosuppression in vertebrates: Implications for parasite mediated sexual selection. In N. E. Beckage (Ed.), Parasites and pathogens (pp. 143-155). New York, NY: Chapman & Hall.
31.
Hinsz, V.B. ( 1989). Facial resemblance in engaged and married couples. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 6, 223-229.
32.
Hinsz, V.B., Matz, D.C., & Patience, R.A. (2001). Does women’s hair signal reproductive potential?Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 37, 166-172.
33.
Jones, B.C., DeBruine, L.M., Little, A.C., Burriss, R.P., & Feinberg, D.R. (2007). Social transmission of face preferences among humans. Proceedings of the Royal Society B- Biological Sciences, 274, 899-903.
34.
Jones, B.C., Little, A.C., Burt, D.M., & Perrett, D.I. ( 2004). When facial attractiveness is only skin deep. Perception, 33, 569-576.
35.
Jones, B.C., Little, A.C., Feinberg, D.R., Penton-Voak, I.S., Tiddeman, B.P., & Perrett, D.I. ( 2004). The relationship between shape symmetry and perceived skin condition in male facial attractiveness. Evolution and Human Behavior, 25, 24-30.
36.
Kanda, N., Tsuchida, T., & Tamaki, K. ( 1996). Testosterone inhibits immunoglobulin production by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Clinical and Experimental Immunology, 106, 410-415.
37.
Keating, C.F. ( 1985). Gender and the physiognomy of dominance and attractiveness . Social Psychology Quarterly, 48, 61-70.
38.
Koehler, N., Simmons, L.W., Rhodes, G., & Peters, M. ( 2004). The relationship between sexual dimorphism in human faces and fluctuating asymmetry. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B (Suppl.), Biology Letters, 271, S233-S236.
39.
Kowner, R. ( 1996). Facial asymmetry and attractiveness judgement in developmental perspective. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 22, 662-675.
40.
Langlois, J.H., Roggman, L.A., & Musselman, L. ( 1994). What is average and what is not average about attractive faces. Psychological Science, 5, 214-219.
41.
Law Smith, M.J., Perrett, D.I., Jones, B.C., Cornwell, R.E., Moore, F.R., Feinberg, D.R., . . . Hillier, S.G. ( 2006). Facial appearance is a cue to oestrogen levels in women . Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 273, 135-140.
42.
Little, A.C., Apicella, C.L., & Marlowe, F.W. ( 2007). Preferences for symmetry in human faces in two cultures: Data from the UK and the Hadza, an isolated group of hunter-gatherers. Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 274, 3113-3117.
43.
Little, A.C., Burriss, R.P., Jones, B.C., DeBruine, L.M., & Caldwell, C.A. (2008). Social influence in human face preference: Men and women are influenced more for long-term than short-term attractiveness decisions. Evolution and Human Behavior, 29, 140-146.
Little, A.C., Burt, D.M., Penton-Voak, I.S., & Perrett, D.I. ( 2001). Self-perceived attractiveness influences human female preferences for sexual dimorphism and symmetry in male faces. Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 268, 39-44.
Little, A.C., & Jones, B.C. ( 2003). Evidence against perceptual bias views for symmetry preferences in human faces. Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 270, 1759-1763.
48.
Little, A.C., Jones, B.C., DeBruine, L.M., & Feinberg, D.R. (2008). Symmetry and sexual dimorphism in human faces: Interrelated preferences suggest both signal quality. Behavioral Ecology, 19, 902-908.
49.
Little, A.C., Jones, B.C., Penton-Voak, I.S., Burt, D.M., & Perrett, D.I. ( 2002). Partnership status and the temporal context of relationships influence human female preferences for sexual dimorphism in male face shape . Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 269, 1095-1100.
50.
Little, A.C., Jones, B.C., Waitt, C., Tiddeman, B.P., Feinberg, D.R., Perrett, D.I., . . . Marlowe, F.W. ( 2008). Symmetry is related to sexual dimorphism in faces: Data across culture and species. PLoS One, 3, e2106.
51.
Little, A.C., & Mannion, H. ( 2006). Viewing attractive or unattractive same-sex individuals changes self-rated attractiveness and face preferences in women. Animal Behaviour, 72, 981-987.
52.
Little, A.C., Penton-Voak, I.S., Burt, D.M., & Perrett, D.I. ( 2003). Investigating an imprinting-like phenomenon in humans: Partners and opposite-sex parents have similar hair and eye color. Evolution and Human Behavior, 24, 43-51.
53.
Lõhmus, M., Sundström, L.F., & Björklund, M. (2009). Dress for success: Human facial expressions are important signals of emotions. Annales Zoologici Fennici, 46, 75-80.
54.
Luo, S. ( 2009). Partner selection and relationship satisfaction in early dating couples: The role of couple similarity. Personality and Individual Differences, 47, 133-138.
55.
Luo, S., & Klohnen, E.C. ( 2005). Assortative mating and marital quality in newlyweds: A couple-centered approach. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88, 304-326.
56.
Mascie-Taylor, C.G. ( 1989). Spouse similarity for IQ and personality and convergence . Behavior Genetics, 19, 223-227.
57.
Mealey, L., Bridgestock, R., & Townsend, G.C. (1999). Symmetry and perceived facial attractiveness: A monozygotic co-twin comparison. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76, 151-158.
58.
Milne, B.J., Belsky, J., Poulton, R., Thomson, W.M., Caspi, A., & Kieser, J. ( 2003). Fluctuating asymmetry and physical health among young adults. Evolution and Human Behavior, 24, 53-63.
59.
Møller, A.P., & Swaddle, J.P. ( 1997). Asymmetry, developmental stability, and evolution. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.
60.
Montoya, R.M. ( 2008). I’m hot, so I’d say you’re not: The influence of objective physical attractiveness on mate selection. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 34, 1315-1331.
61.
Noor, F., & Evans, D.C. ( 2003). The effect of facial symmetry on perceptions of personality and attractiveness. Journal of Research in Personality, 37, 339-347.
62.
Penton-Voak, I.S., & Chen, J.Y. ( 2004). High salivary testosterone is linked to masculine male facial appearance in humans. Evolution and Human Behavior , 25, 229-241.
63.
Penton-Voak, I.S., Jones, B.C., Little, A.C., Baker, S., Tiddeman, B.P., Burt, D.M., & Perrett, D.I. ( 2001). Symmetry, sexual dimorphism in facial proportions, and male facial attractiveness. Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 268, 1617-1623.
64.
Penton-Voak, I.S., Little, A.C., Jones, B.C., Burt, D.M., Tiddeman, B.P., & Perrett, D.I. ( 2003). Female condition influences preferences for sexual dimorphism in faces of male humans (Homo sapiens). Journal of Comparative Psychology, 117, 264-271.
Penton-Voak, I.S., Perrett, D.I., & Pierce, J. ( 1999). Computer graphic studies of the role of facial similarity in attractiveness judgements. Current Psychology, 18, 104-117.
67.
Perrett, D.I., Burt, D.M., Penton-Voak, I.S., Lee, K.J., Rowland, D.A., & Edwards, R. ( 1999). Symmetry and human facial attractiveness. Evolution and Human Behavior, 20, 295-307.
68.
Perrett, D.I., Lee, K.J., Penton-Voak, I.S., Rowland, D.R., Yoshikawa, S., Burt, D.M., . . . Akamatsu, S. ( 1998). Effects of sexual dimorphism on facial attractiveness . Nature, 394, 884-887.
69.
Perrett, D.I., May, K.A., & Yoshikawa, S. ( 1994). Facial shape and judgements of female attractiveness . Nature, 368, 239-242.
70.
Rhodes, G., Chan, J., Zebrowitz, L.A., & Simmons, L.W. ( 2003). Does sexual dimorphism in human faces signal health?Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 270, S93-S95.
71.
Rhodes, G., Yoshikawa, S., Clark, A., Lee, K., McKay, R., & Akamatsu, S. ( 2001). Attractiveness of facial averageness and symmetry in non-Western cultures: In search of biologically based standards of beauty. Perception, 30, 611-625.
72.
Roberts, D.F. ( 1977). Assortative mating in man: Husband/wife correlations in physical characteristics. Supplement to the Bulletin of the Eugenics Society, 2.
73.
Roberts, S.C., Havliček, J., Flegr, J., Hruskova, M., Little, A.C., Jones, B.C., . . . Petrie, M. ( 2004). Female facial attractiveness increases during the fertile phase of the cycle. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B (Suppl.), Biology Letters, 271, S270-S272.
74.
Roberts, S.C., & Little, A.C. ( 2008). Good genes, complementary genes and human mate preferences . Genetica, 132, 309-321.
Roberts, S.C., Little, A.C., Gosling, L.M., Perrett, D.I., Carter, V., Jones, B.C., . . . Petrie, M. ( 2005). MHC-heterozygosity and human facial attractiveness. Evolution and Human Behavior, 26, 213-226.
77.
Roberts, S.C., Owen, R.C., & Havliček, J. (2010). Distinguishing between perceiver and wearer effects in clothing color-associated attributions. Evolutionary Psychology, 8, 350-364.
78.
Roberts, S.C., Saxton, T.K., Murray, A.K., Burriss, R.P., Rowland, H.M., & Little, A.C. ( 2009). Static and dynamic facial images cue similar attractiveness judgements. Ethology, 115, 588-595.
79.
Robins, R.A., Caspi, A., & Moffitt, T.E. ( 2000). Two personalities, one relationship: Both partners’ personality traits shape the quality of their relationship. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79, 251-259.
80.
Sackeim, H.A., Gur, R.C., & Saucy, M.C. ( 1978). Emotions are expressed more intensely on the left side of the face. Science, 202, 434-436.
81.
Saxton, T.K., Little, A.C., Rowland, H.M., Gao, T., & Roberts, S.C. ( 2009). Trade-offs between markers of absolute and relative quality in human facial preferences. Behavioral Ecology, 20, 1133-1137.
82.
Scheib, J.E., Gangestad, S.W., & Thornhill, R. ( 1999). Facial attractiveness, symmetry and cues to good genes . Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 266, 1913-1917.
83.
Shackelford, T.K., & Larsen, R.J. ( 1997). Facial asymmetry as an indicator of psychological, emotional and physiological distress. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 456-466.
84.
Sigall, H., & Ostrove, N. ( 1975). Beautiful but dangerous: Effects of offender attractiveness and nature of the crime on juridical judgement. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 31, 410-414.
85.
Smith, F.G., Jones, B.C., Welling, L.L.M., Little, A.C., Vukovic, J., Main, J.C., . . . DeBruine, L.M. (2009). Waist-hip ratio predicts women’s preferences for masculine male faces, but not perceptions of men’s trustworthiness. Personality and Individual Differences , 47, 476-480.
86.
Thiessen, D., & Gregg, B. ( 1980). Human assortative mating and genetic equilibrium: An evolutionary perspective. Ethology and Sociobiology, 1, 111-140.
87.
Thornhill, R., & Gangestad, S.W. (2006). Facial sexual dimorphism, developmental stability, and susceptibility to disease in men and women. Evolution and Human Behavior, 27, 131-144.
88.
Thornhill, R., & Møller, A.P. (1997). Developmental stability, disease and medicine. Biological Reviews, 72, 497-548.
89.
Trivers, R.L. ( 1972). Parental investment and sexual selection. In B. Campbell (Ed.), Sexual selection and the descent of man, 1871-1971(pp. 136-179). Chicago, IL: Aldine.
90.
van Straaten, I., Engels, R.C.M.E., Finkenauer, C., & Holland, R.W. ( 2009). Meeting your match: How attractiveness similarity affects approach behavior in mixed-sex dyads. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 35, 685-697.
91.
Vandenberg, S.G. ( 1972). Assortative mating, or who marries whom?Behavior Genetics, 2, 127-158.
Vukovic, J., Jones, B.C., DeBruine, L.M., Feinberg, D.R., Smith, F.G., Little, A.C., . . . Main, J. ( 2010). Women’s own voice pitch predicts their preferences for masculinity in men’s voices. Behavioral Ecology , 21, 767-772.
94.
Watkins, L.M., & Johnston, L. ( 2000). Screening job applicants: The impact of physical attractiveness and application quality. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 8, 76-84.
95.
Waynforth, D. ( 1998). Fluctuating asymmetry and human male life-history traits in rural Belize. Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 265, 1497-1501.
96.
Zajonc, R.B., Adelmann, P.K., Murphy, S.T., & Niendenthal, P.M. (1987). Convergence in the physical appearance of spouses. Motivation and Emotion, 11, 335-346.
