Oral contraceptive use in women changes preferences for male facial masculinity and is associated with partner facial masculinity
Open accessAbstract
Millions of women use hormonal contraception and it has been suggested that such use may alter mate preferences. To examine the impact of oral contraceptive (pill) use on preferences, we tested for within-subject changes in preferences for masculine faces in women initiating pill use. Between two sessions, initiation of pill use significantly decreased women's preferences for male facial masculinity but did not influence preferences for same-sex faces. To test whether altered preference during pill use influences actual partner choice, we examined facial characteristics in 170 age-matched male partners of women who reported having either been using or not using the pill when the partnership was formed. Both facial measurements and perceptual judgements demonstrated that partners of women who used the pill during mate choice have less masculine faces than partners of women who did not use hormonal contraception at this time. Our data (A) provide the first experimental evidence that initiation of pill use in women causes changes in facial preferences and (B) documents downstream effects of these changes on real-life partner selection. Given that hormonal contraceptive use is widespread, effects of pill use on the processes of partner formation have important implications for relationship stability and may have other biologically relevant consequences.
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Hormonal contraception (HC) use alters women's pair-bonding behavior.
“Importantly, HC use alters women's pair-bonding behavior, evident in decreased attractiveness ratings of masculine faces (Little et al., 2013), reduced neural response to the expectation of erotic stimuli (Abler et al., 2013), a preference shift towards olfactory cues of genetic similarity (Roberts et al., 2008) and increased sexual jealousy (Geary et al., 2001).”
From Hormonal contraceptives suppress oxytocin-induced brain reward responses to the partner’s face (2016) · cites this paper as Little et al., 2013
Cyclical shifts in partner preferences are diminished in women using HC.
“In line with our own data, these cyclical shifts were found to be diminished in women using HC (Cobey et al., 2013;Little et al., 2013).”
From Hormonal contraceptives suppress oxytocin-induced brain reward responses to the partner’s face (2016) · cites this paper as Little et al., 2013
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“Importantly, HC use alters women’s pair-bonding behavior, evident in decreased attractiveness ratings of masculine faces (Little et al., 2013), reduced neural response to the expectation of erotic stimuli (Abler et al., 2013), a preference shift towards olfactory cues of genetic similarity (Roberts…”
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The disgusted mind : investigating the effects of parasite stress on social behaviour and beliefs
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Effect of Birth Control on Women’s Preferences
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Infidelity Across the Ovulatory Cycle
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The Impact of Hormonal Contraceptives on Women’s Sexual and Mating Psychology
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Putting Children's Interests First in US Family Law and Policy: With Power Comes Responsibility
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Interpersonal behavior in women: Association with prenatal exposure to sex hormones
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Do Hormonal Contraceptives Alter Mate Choice and Relationship Functioning in Humans
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Effect of Birth Control on Women’s Preferences
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Hormone Hesitancy: Young Adults’ Experiences with Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives
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- Authors
- Little, A. C., Burriss, R. P., Petrie, M., Jones, B. C., & Roberts, S. C.
- Affiliations
- University of Stirling (GB)
- Newcastle University (GB)
- University of Glasgow (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Little, Anthony C.
- Roberts, S. Craig
- Venue
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2013-09
- Volume
- 38
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 1777-1785
- ISSN
- 0306-4530 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2155802275
- Cited by
- 89
- References
- 46
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 15 · 2013: 8
- FWCI
- 16.71
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- doi.org
- Locations
- Psychoneuroendocrinology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Stirling Online Research Repository (University of Stirling) (submittedVersion, public-domain)
- ENLIGHTEN (Jurnal Bimbingan dan Konseling Islam) (submittedVersion)
- Northumbria Research Link (Northumbria University) (submittedVersion)
- Newcastle University ePrints (Newcastle Univesity)
- Funders
- Wellcome Trust and the Economic and Social Research Council (ES/I008217/1)
- Royal Society University Research Fellowship
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Reproductive Health and Contraception
- Keywords
- oral contraceptives, hormonal contraception, mate preferences, facial masculinity, facial attractiveness, partner choice, mate choice, sexual selection, relationship stability, women's preferences
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Choice Behavior, Contraceptives, Oral, Face, Female, Humans, Male, Marriage, Menstrual Cycle, Photography, Sex Characteristics, Sexual Partners, Young Adult, Masculinity
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