Department of Psychology, Leibniz Science Campus Primate Cognition, University of Goettingen, Gosslerstrasse 14, 37073 Goettingen, Germany.
Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
Horm Behav. 2018 Nov;106:122-134. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.10.008. Epub 2018 Oct 22.
Are estrous mate preference shifts robust? This question is the subject of controversy within human evolutionary sciences. For nearly two decades, mate preference shifts across the ovulatory cycle were considered an important feature of human sexual selection, directing women's attention toward mates with indicators of "good genes" in their fertile phase, when conception is possible. However, several recent studies on masculine faces, bodies and behaviors did not find evidence supporting this account, known as the good genes ovulatory shift hypothesis. Furthermore, evidence that preferences for masculine characteristics in men's voices are related to women's cycle phase and hormonal status is still equivocal. Here, we report two independent within-subject studies from different labs with large sample sizes (N = 202 tested twice in Study 1; N = 157 tested four times in Study 2) investigating cycle shifts in women's preferences for masculine voices. In both studies, hormonal status was assessed directly using salivary assays of steroid hormones. We did not find evidence for effects of cycle phase, conception risk, or steroid hormone levels on women's preferences for masculine voices. Rather, our studies partially provide evidence for cycle shifts in women's general attraction to men's voices regardless of masculine characteristics. Women's relationship status and self-reported stress did not moderate these findings, and the hormonal pattern that influences these shifts remains somewhat unclear. We consider how future work can clarify the mechanisms underlying psychological changes across the ovulatory cycle.
动情配偶偏好转变是否稳健？这一问题在人类进化科学领域存在争议。近二十年来，人们认为排卵周期中的配偶偏好转变是人类性选择的一个重要特征，它引导女性在受孕可能的生育期关注具有“良好基因”指标的伴侣。然而，最近几项关于男性面孔、身体和行为的研究并没有发现支持这一说法的证据，这种说法被称为“良好基因排卵转变假说”。此外，关于男性声音中男性特征偏好与女性周期阶段和激素状态有关的证据仍然存在争议。在这里，我们报告了来自两个不同实验室的两项独立的个体内研究，样本量较大（研究 1 中 202 人被测试了两次；研究 2 中 157 人被测试了四次），研究了女性对男性声音的偏好是否存在周期转变。在这两项研究中，我们直接使用唾液类固醇激素分析来评估激素状态。我们没有发现证据表明周期阶段、受孕风险或激素水平会影响女性对男性声音的偏好。相反，我们的研究部分提供了证据，证明女性对男性声音的一般吸引力会随着周期的变化而变化，而不受男性特征的影响。女性的恋爱关系状况和自我报告的压力并没有调节这些发现，而影响这些变化的激素模式仍然有些不清楚。我们考虑了未来的工作如何能够阐明排卵周期中心理变化的机制。
