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[[File:FWHR-Carré-2008.gif|thumb|right]] | [[File:FWHR-Carré-2008.gif|thumb|right]] | ||
'''Facial width-to-height ratio''' (or short '''FWHR'''), is a [[facial]] ratio that is derived from measuring the width of the face and dividing this measurement by the length of the [[midface]] (which can vary by method of measurement, see below for further detail). FWHR was only discovered in the last few years but in that short amount of time it has been found in some studies that FWHR is correlated with such things as: dominance, aggression, psychopathy, dark triad traits in general, short term attraction, fighting ability, likelihood of committing acts of domestic violence in men, physical robustness, financial success, academic success, risk-taking behavior, trustworthiness, sex drive, status, and prenatal testosterone exposure and/or adult testosterone levels. | '''Facial width-to-height ratio''' (or short '''FWHR'''), is a [[facial]] ratio that is derived from measuring the width of the face and dividing this measurement by the length of the [[midface]] (which can vary by method of measurement, see below for further detail). FWHR was only discovered in the last few years but in that short amount of time it has been found in some studies that FWHR is correlated with such things as: dominance, aggression, psychopathy, [[dark triad]] traits in general, short term attraction, fighting ability, likelihood of committing acts of domestic violence in men, physical robustness, financial success, academic success, risk-taking behavior, trustworthiness, sex drive, status, and prenatal testosterone exposure and/or adult testosterone levels. | ||
While some of these findings have been replicated, others have been criticized on methodological grounds, or have flatly failed to replicate, such as the purported link between FWHR and adolescent or adult serum testosterone levels.<ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/310461784_Commentary_Facial_Width-to-Height_Ratio_fWHR_Is_Not_Associated_with_Adolescent_Testosterone_Levels</ref><ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329686209_Further_Evidence_that_Facial_Width-to-Height_Ratio_and_Global_Facial_Masculinity_Are_Not_Positively_Associated_with_Testosterone_Levels</ref> Some studies have also found no significant association between FWHR and anti-social behavior (among business executives),<ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333685699_A_Case_of_Evolutionary_Mismatch_Why_Facial_Width-to-Height_Ratio_May_Not_Predict_Behavioral_Tendencies</ref> or socio-sexuality (promiscuous sexual behavior and unrestrained attitudes towards casual sex) in women.<ref>https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0200308</ref> | While some of these findings have been replicated, others have been criticized on methodological grounds, or have flatly failed to replicate, such as the purported link between FWHR and adolescent or adult serum testosterone levels.<ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/310461784_Commentary_Facial_Width-to-Height_Ratio_fWHR_Is_Not_Associated_with_Adolescent_Testosterone_Levels</ref><ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329686209_Further_Evidence_that_Facial_Width-to-Height_Ratio_and_Global_Facial_Masculinity_Are_Not_Positively_Associated_with_Testosterone_Levels</ref> Some studies have also found no significant association between FWHR and anti-social behavior (among business executives),<ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333685699_A_Case_of_Evolutionary_Mismatch_Why_Facial_Width-to-Height_Ratio_May_Not_Predict_Behavioral_Tendencies</ref> or socio-sexuality (promiscuous sexual behavior and unrestrained attitudes towards casual sex) in women.<ref>https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0200308</ref> | ||
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The purported link between greater FWHR and aggressive behavior may be hard to discern accurately in large, varied samples, as there is preliminary evidence that a man's social status may play a role in moderating the apparent positive relationship between FWHR and anti-social behavior and traits. One group of researchers in 2018 only found evidence for a positive association between FWHR and [[dark triad]] traits and physical aggression among lower-income men.<ref>https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30412629</ref> | The purported link between greater FWHR and aggressive behavior may be hard to discern accurately in large, varied samples, as there is preliminary evidence that a man's social status may play a role in moderating the apparent positive relationship between FWHR and anti-social behavior and traits. One group of researchers in 2018 only found evidence for a positive association between FWHR and [[dark triad]] traits and physical aggression among lower-income men.<ref>https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30412629</ref> | ||
FWHR does not seem to be sexually dimorphic,<ref>Lefevre, C. E., Lewis, G. J., Bates, T. C., Dzhelyova, M., Coetzee, V., Deary, I. J., & Perrett, D. I. (2012). No evidence for [[sexual dimorphism]] of facial width-to-height ratio in four large adult samples. Evolution and Human Behavior, 33(6), 623-627</ref> although the negative association between FWHR and risk of dying from contact-violence is<ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233757330_Male_facial_width_is_associated_with_death_by_contact_violence_Narrow-faced_males_are_more_likely_to_die_from_contact_violence</ref> and perceptions of individuals with higher FWHRs as more socially dominant are also sexually dimorphic,<ref>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886914003031</ref> suggesting that FWHR does play a role in intrasexual competition among men | FWHR does not seem to be sexually dimorphic,<ref>Lefevre, C. E., Lewis, G. J., Bates, T. C., Dzhelyova, M., Coetzee, V., Deary, I. J., & Perrett, D. I. (2012). No evidence for [[sexual dimorphism]] of facial width-to-height ratio in four large adult samples. Evolution and Human Behavior, 33(6), 623-627</ref> although the negative association between FWHR and risk of dying from contact-violence is<ref>https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233757330_Male_facial_width_is_associated_with_death_by_contact_violence_Narrow-faced_males_are_more_likely_to_die_from_contact_violence</ref> and perceptions of individuals with higher FWHRs as more socially dominant are also sexually dimorphic,<ref>https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886914003031</ref> suggesting that FWHR does play a role in [[intrasexual competition]] among [[men]] in contemporary contexts, and thus a higher FWHR may be associated with traits that have been under sexual or natural selective pressures in human evolutionary history.<ref>https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Barnaby_Dixson/publication/313797888_Facial_Width_to_Height_Ratio_and_Dominance/links/5a395640aca272eb167466a9/Facial-Width-to-Height-Ratio-and-Dominance.pdf</ref> | ||
==FWHR and aesthetics== | ==FWHR and aesthetics== | ||
Despite the considerable hype surrounding FWHR in circles concerned with aesthetics, there is a lack of evidence directly linking this trait to perceptions of greater male physical attractiveness. A speed dating study conducted in 2014 found a link between higher FWHR in the male participants and greater short-term relationship desirability, but this was found to be mediated by perceptions of dominance, as there was no significant correlation between FWHR and women's ratings of the men's physical attractiveness.<ref>https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2727&context=soss_research Valentine KA, Norman PLI, Penke L, Perret DI. 2014. Judging a Man by the Width of his Face: The Role of Facial Ratios and Dominance in Mate Choice at Speed-Dating Events. Psychological Science. 25(3): 806-811</ref> Some studies have even found a weak negative correlation between men's FWHR and their physical attractiveness (''r̄'' = -.26).<ref>https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4504483/</ref> This may be partially due to the link between greater FWHR and greater levels of facial adiposity.<ref>https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20301846/</ref> | Despite the considerable hype surrounding FWHR in circles concerned with aesthetics, there is a lack of evidence directly linking this trait to perceptions of greater male physical attractiveness. A speed dating study conducted in 2014 found a link between higher FWHR in the male participants and greater short-term relationship desirability, but this was found to be mediated by perceptions of dominance, as there was no significant correlation between FWHR and women's ratings of the men's physical attractiveness.<ref>https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2727&context=soss_research Valentine KA, Norman PLI, Penke L, Perret DI. 2014. Judging a Man by the Width of his Face: The Role of Facial Ratios and Dominance in Mate Choice at Speed-Dating Events. Psychological Science. 25(3): 806-811</ref> Some studies have even found a weak negative correlation between men's FWHR and their physical attractiveness (''r̄'' = -.26).<ref>https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4504483/</ref> This may be partially due to the link between greater FWHR and greater levels of facial adiposity.<ref>https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20301846/</ref> | ||
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[[File:FWHR-Loehr-2013.gif]] | [[File:FWHR-Loehr-2013.gif]] | ||
== See also == | |||
* [[Physiognomy]] | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
<references /> | <references /> | ||