Pupillometry: A sexual selection approach

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Abstract

We attempted to clarify prior reported discrepancies between males judging females and females judging males in the attraction value of pupil size. Our hypothesis was that attraction values of pupil size will be described by an interaction effect, such that males will be most attracted by large pupils in females and females by medium size pupils in males. The rationale for the hypothesis was that the reproductive strategies of males are best served by unequivocal female sexual interest and arousal, whereas the strategies of females will predispose them to favor more moderate sexual attentions. As expected, the relationship of attraction to pupil size was positive and linear for males viewing females. Females, however, rather than showing the predicted inverted U function, showed consistent preferences for either medium or large pupils in males. Further investigation revealed that females attracted by large pupils also reported preferences for proverbial bad boys as dating partners. Analogous findings in the literature on female romantic partner preferences are discussed.

Section snippets

Study 1: Pupil size preference and sexual selection

In a classic study of pupil size and attraction, Hess (1965) showed that men found drawings of women's faces to be more attractive when the pupils were rendered larger, a finding that has been replicated using various methods Bull & Shead, 1979, Hess, 1975, Stass & Willis, 1967, Tomlinson et al., 1978. Studies that additionally or independently assessed the corresponding responses of women to pupil sizes of men, however, have shown inconsistent results (Bull & Shead, 1979, Stass & Willis, 1967,

Study 2: pupil size and dating partner preferences in women

A second study followed up on the suggestion above. Its first purpose was to replicate the findings for females of the first study with an adequate N for correlational analyses, in order to better establish whether the positive attraction value of large pupils was idiosyncratic to a subsample of women. Second, given that females preferences for large pupils were subject to individual differences, we wished to explore whether they related to particular predilections for personality attributes of

General discussion

Although the predicted distributions of attraction ratings of pupil size by sex of rater and model were only partially obtained in both studies, the broader underlying concept of the studies was supported. As hypothesized on the basis of sexually dimorphic mating strategies, women, overall, did not show the same relative degree of attraction as did men to intense sexual attention signalled by maximally dilated pupils. A subsample of women, however, did find large pupils in male photos most

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