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SOCIAL ISSUES UNHAPPY HOMES DESTROY THE LOOKS OF WOMEN Girls from broken homes may grow up to be less attractive, research published by the Royal Society shows. Women whose parents had a good relationship were found to be significantly more attractive than women whose parents had separated.
The woman on the left was rated less
attractive.
Two studies from a team at St Andrew's University suggested that women whose parents had separated or had a poor relationship looked more masculine. Researchers assessed facial features and body shape in 229 women and found those from stable homes appeared more feminine and healthy. The results may be linked to levels of testosterone - the male sex hormone. However, it is unclear if increased testosterone in the offspring of parents who separate is genetic or caused by stress of an unhappy family life. Researchers took photographs of psychology students who had completed a questionnaire about their family background. The pictures were rated for attractiveness, feminity, and healthiness. Women whose parents had a good relationship were found to be significantly more attractive than women whose parents had separated. Women whose parents had stayed together but had a poor relationship were rated the least attractive of the three groups and were also judged to be the least healthy. In a second study of 87 of the same young women, researchers assessed body mass index, waist-hip ratio, and waist-chest ratio. Growing up with parents who had a poor relationship was associated with increased weight around the waist, producing a more masculine figure and an increased body mass index. The findings are published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society. Previous research has shown that girls whose parents split up are more likely to start their periods earlier, start having sex sooner and have a higher rate of teenage pregnancy. Study leader, Dr Lynda Boothroyd who has since moved to the University of Durham said the new results and previous findings could be explained by hormones - particularly testosterone. "I wonder if all of these things are down to a particular set of hormone changes or genetics. "If we can say that part of the reason may be something to do with their hormones, that helps us to understand what is going on and helps us to address that behavior." "It could be that children inherit higher testosterone from their parents, which could have caused the problems in their parents relationship. But also our bodies release hormones to cope with stress and that might have a knock on effect."
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Feminine males 'more attractive'
Image of Tom Cruise, altered to look more feminine on the left and masculine on the right. Men with feminine faces will be luckier in love as most women are attracted to them rather than masculine men, Liverpool University scientists say. While square-jawed men attract beautiful women, the less macho ones have a wider choice as their face type is more in demand. Most women like a feminized face, but those who rated themselves attractive went for the classic masculine face. Feminine faces tend to be linked with stability and caring, scientists said. Several hundred students and staff at the university were shown a selection of computer-generated faces, manipulated to look either more masculine or feminine.
They were asked to judge what facial type they were most attracted to. "Facial types indicate how a particular person might behave in a relationship and the potential benefits they could give to offspring," said Dr Tony Little, from the University of Liverpool's School of Biological Sciences. "A masculine face is linked to high testosterone levels, which demonstrates good genetic qualities. "Those women who prefer masculine men are selecting genetic benefits for their children, despite the fact that high testosterone levels can also increase the likelihood that the male will have an affair. "Those men with a feminine face tend to be associated with stability and caring," he added. Women who considered themselves highly attractive were more willing to take a risk with a highly testosterone-charged male, and were less likely to fear such a man straying. A second study showed that women seen with a dominant male were rated more attractive by other men. The male volunteers were shown pictures of fictitious couples and asked to rate the male's dominance in relation to themselves and how attractive they found the female. Men who rated themselves as attractive preferred women with feminine facial features, such as a small nose and chin and large eyes, which are indicators of fertility. Dr Little said: "A man who feels that he has something beneficial to offer in a relationship, will want something in return and therefore will choose a partner who can transfer his genes to offspring successfully. "We have also found that people tend to be attracted to those who look similar to their opposite-sex parent. "Your choice of partner would therefore look similar to you, thus increasing the chances of your children also resembling you." The researchers want to explore how faces influence the success or failure of relationships. Study data will also be used to determine which facial types are likely to promote feelings of jealousy. CONTINUES ON P17
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Image of Julia Roberts,
altered to look more feminine on the left and more masculine on the
right.