Sex-dimorphic face shape preference in heterosexual and homosexual men and women

Studies have used manipulated faces to test the preferencesofheterosexual individuals for sexually dimorphic facial cues. In contrast to previous studies, which have generally excluded homosexual participants, we directly compared homosexual and heterosexual male and female preferences for manipulated sexual dimorphism in faces (homosexual males: n = 311; heterosexual males: n = 215; homosexual females: n = 159; heterosexual females: n = 218). Prior studies on sexual orientation and preferences for faces that were paired with masculine and feminine behavioral descriptors suggest that homosexual men prefer more masculine men and that homosexual women demonstrate no preference for either masculinityor femininity in women.In our study, wetested for similarities and differences among heterosexual and homosexual males and females with regard to their preferences for a more specific aspect offaces: sexual dimorphism of face shape. Homosexual men demonstratedstronger preferencesfor masculinityinmale faces than did all of the other groups. Homosexual womendemonstrated stronger preferences for masculinity in female faces than did heterosexual women. These results suggest attractiveness judgments of same-sex faces made by homosexual individuals are not a mirror image of those made by heterosexual individuals of the opposite sex. Our data suggest that face preferences of homosexual individuals reflect a system of biologically and socially guided preferences at least as complex as those found among heterosexual individuals.