# Human pheromones and facial characteristics

**URL:** <https://pheromonetalk.com/t/human-pheromones-and-facial-characteristics/3280>\
**Category:** Studies & Abstracts\
**Created:** [April 22, 2007, 11:40am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/human-pheromones-and-facial-characteristics/3280 "2007-04-22T11:40:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![fullmoonnow](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/pheromonetalk.com/fullmoonnow/32/1821_2.png) [@fullmoonnow](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/fullmoonnow)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2007, 11:40am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/human-pheromones-and-facial-characteristics/3280/1 "2007-04-22T11:40:55Z")

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**ABSTRACT  
We have investigated whether preferences for masculine and feminine characteristics are correlated across two modalities, olfaction and vision.**

**In study 1, subjects rated the pleasantness of putative male (4,16-  
androstadien-3-one; 5α-androst-16-en-3-one) and female (1,3,5(10),16-estratetraen-3-ol) [pheromones](https://pheromonelabs.com/shop/), and chose the most attractive face shape from a masculine–feminine continuum for a long- and a shortterm relationship. Study 2 replicated study 1 and further explored the effects of relationship context on pheromone ratings.**

**For long-term relationships, women’s preferences for masculine face shapes correlated with ratings of 4,16-androstadien-3-one and men’s preferences for feminine face shapes correlated with ratings of 1,3,5(10),16-estratetraen-3-ol.**

**These studies link sex-specific preferences for putative human sex pheromones and sexually dimorphic facial characteristics. Our findings suggest that putative sex pheromones and sexually dimorphic facial characteristics convey common information about the quality of potential mates.**

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Found this bit interesting as well (re. short term relationships)

**When a male or a female is choosing a partner for a  
short-term relationship, a variety of evolutionary functions  
may be relevant, such as partner replacement or assessment  
of mate potential (Buss & Schmitt 1993), cuckoldry  
(Gangestad & Simpson 2000), or perhaps intrasexual  
competition. Psychological motivations influenced by the  
vagaries of modern life, such as gaining sexual experience  
or peer pressure, may complicate the picture as we see it  
today. Diverse strategies could lead individuals to react  
to opposite-sex signals differently.**  
Anyway the researcher’s conclusion was that people were more fussy about long-term relationship mate potentials.