Further evidence for links between facial width-to-height ratio and fighting success: Commentary on Zilioli et al. (2014)
Language English Country United States Media print-electronic
Document type Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Comment
PubMed
25236530
DOI
10.1002/ab.21559
Knihovny.cz E-resources
- Keywords
- aggression, fWHR, fight, formidability, perception,
- MeSH
- Aggression physiology MeSH
- Martial Arts physiology MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Face anatomy & histology MeSH
- Facial Recognition physiology MeSH
- Social Perception * MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Comment MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
Recent research has reported an association between facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR) and both fighting performance and judgments of formidability in a sample of mixed martial arts (MMA) combatants. The results provide evidence of fWHR being associated with sporting performance and aggression in men. However, it has been argued that the effect of fWHR might be a by-product of associations between body size and behavioral measures. Here we tested whether fWHR is associated with perceived aggressiveness, fighting ability and success in physical confrontation, while controlling for body size, also in a sample of MMA fighters. We found that perceived fighting ability was predicted by weight but not by fWHR. In contrast, both fWHR and body weight independently predicted perceived aggressiveness. Furthermore, we found positive associations between fWHR and fighting performance which appear to be independent of body size. Our findings provide further support for the proposal that fWHR is associated with fighting ability and perceived aggression, and that these effects are independent of body size. Therefore, fWHR might be considered as a viable and reliable marker for inference of success in male intra-sexual competition.
Faculty of Science Charles University Prague Czech Republic
School of Natural Sciences University of Stirling Stirling UK
References provided by Crossref.org
Violence exposure is associated with preference for masculine faces: evidence from Senegal
Attractiveness Differentially Affects Direct Versus Indirect Face Evaluations in Two Cultures
Facial attractiveness and preference of sexual dimorphism: A comparison across five populations
The Bogazici face database: Standardized photographs of Turkish faces with supporting materials
Predictors of Fighting Ability Inferences Based on Faces
Focal Length Affects Depicted Shape and Perception of Facial Images