Cues of abundance enhance preference for facial masculinity

Sexually dimorphic features in human faces have been proposed to signal genetic quality in humans. These same features have also been associated with lower levels of long-term investment, which can make them less desirable in certain contexts, such as in conditions of resource poverty. The present study examined the possibility that preferences for facial masculinity and femininity may be facultative, dependent on environmental harshness or abundance. Participants were primed with videos displaying resource-scarce or resource-rich environments. To capture subtle, context-dependent shifts in mate preferences, we used a fast preference task which was administered before and after participants viewed priming videos. We found heightened preference for facial masculinity in male faces following exposure to abundant environmental cues relative to harsh environmental cues. These results suggest that human facial preferences are context-dependent and can shift in response to even transient and short-term signs of environmental richness or poverty.