Attraction to men and women predicts sexual dimorphism preferences

Abstract

Objectives: Sexual orientation categories are commonly differentiated in the partner preference literature. Yet little is known about how the variability within each category influences partner preferences. Methods: We investigated women’s (N = 27,611) preferences for sexual dimorphism in male faces in relation to self-reports of sexual attraction to men/women (from ‘not at all’ to ‘very’). Results: Self-identified heterosexual women reported considerable variation in sexual attraction levels. We found that sexual dimorphism preferences related positively with attraction to men and negatively with attraction to women. Conclusions: Such variability in women’s sexuality should be taken into account when investigating partner preferences.