Volume 6, Spring 2008 - Saddleback College

Fall 2007 Biology 3A Abstracts
story. Many attempts have been made to quantify
the nature of beauty, specifically the elements of
attraction which influence mate selection. Thus far
the study of attraction has identified several
influential components of heterosexual attraction
specifically body form, pheromones, and
reproductive cycles. Body form studies have
focused mainly on distinct facial features in males
and females, certain facial features have been
hypothesized to have a direct correlation to
physical attractiveness. Facial symmetry has been
directly linked to attractiveness in both male and
female faces (Rhodes 1998). Male facial features
with high degrees of masculinity were found to
confer attractiveness, a large square jaw was found
to be a visual cue of attractiveness in male faces
(Grammer & Thornhill 1994). However some
research has concluded that it is a mixture of
masculine and feminine traits, not the
predominance of either one that is often found
attractive (Cummingham 1990).
Hypothesizes have also proposed that females
find certain male features attractive to varying
degrees during distinct phases of their reproductive
cycles (Penton-Voak & Perrett 2000). Never the
less, a correlation has been established between
certain male facial features and attractiveness.
Additionally a man’s distinct body odor has been
linked to his attractiveness and desirability as a
mate (Hertz & Cahill, 1997). Appropriately it is a
combination of a man’s pheromones “his scent”
and his facial features that determine his level of
attractiveness to potential mates. The evolutionary
significance of attractiveness seems to play a role
in “good gene” selection; one such gene appears to
be the major histocompatibility gene complex
(MHC) (Thornhill et al. 2003). MHC genes play a
key role in pathogen recognition and immune
response and therefore evolutionary fitness of
couples’ offspring. The MHC gene has a direct
influence on body odor and therefore an influence
on mate choice (Thornhill et al 2003). Pheromones
have also been linked to traits of facial
attractiveness. Studies have shown that the body
odor of men with symmetrical facial features was
found to be more attractive to women during their
menstrual cycle (Rikowski & Grammer, 1999).
The objective of this experiment is to study the
correlation between a man’s level of attractiveness
based on his facial features and his attractiveness
based on his body odor. It is expected that there
will be a significant positive correlation between a
man’s attractiveness based on his physical features
and body odor.
Materials and Methods
Three packages of large plain white t-
shirts (n=9) were purchased from Wal-mart in
Laguna Niguel, California. Each shirt was then
washed to remove any scent absorbed during
production. The shirts were then packaged into
Zip-lock double zipper plastic bags numbered 1-9.
Each t-shirt was distributed to 9 different males
ranging in age from 18-23. The shirts were worn
for 3 nights by each male participant, allowing
proper time for their scent to infuse into the
material. Each shirt was then collected along with
a current photograph of the participant, allowing
for proper current portrayal of each individual to
test for a correlation. Each male individual was
numbered based on the t-shirt they were given, and
each shirt correlated with a differently numbered
picture to maintain consistent results throughout
the rating process.
The following day, 15 female participants
were asked to rate each of the 9 male participants
at random on a scale of 1 to 5 based on physical
appearance, and then based on the scent of their t-
shirts. The results were recorded by each female
participant on a provided survey sheet. The
following day, each male participant’s appearance
and scent ratings were totaled up and averaged out
to the nearest hundredth.
Results were calculated and compared
using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient test.
Data significance would be determined by having
an r 2 value greater than 0 and less than 1,
demonstrating a correlation in ratings between
appearance and scent of each male individual
rated.
Results
The correlation in mean ratings of each
male individual based on appearance and scent
(Fig 1). Results were calculated using Spearman’s
rank correlation coefficient formula as:
A correlation coefficient of (r = 3.6 x 10 -1 ) was
calculated using the formula shown above,
supporting our hypothesis. Raw averages for each
individual male (Table 1) shows the range of
scores. A value of p was calculated as (p > 1.0 x
10 -1 ), rejecting the null hypothesis and supporting
our hypothesis. Mean ratings based on appearance
were 2.87, and mean ratings based on scent were
2.82 (Table 1). Overall difference in mean values
was + 0.05. Positive linear correlation between
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Saddleback Journal of Biology
Spring 2008