Relatively rapid effects of testosterone on men's ratings of female attractiveness depend on relationship status and the attractiveness of stimulus faces.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Placebo-controlled crossover trial in healthy humans
PubMed 35468319 · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105174
What was done
In a preregistered, placebo-controlled crossover study, 106 heterosexual men (53 partnered, 53 single) rated the appeal of female stimulus faces after testosterone or placebo administration. Female faces were pre-rated for attractiveness by an independent set of observers. Judgments were tested within 85 (±5) minutes post-administration and analyzed by relationship status and baseline stimulus attractiveness.
What was found
No numerical values, effect sizes, or test statistics are reported in the abstract. Single men rated women as more appealing when testosterone was given first, but marginally less appealing when placebo was given first. In a model incorporating stimulus attractiveness, testosterone increased ratings of highly attractive women among partnered men (countering baseline alternative derogation) and increased ratings of low-attractiveness women among single men.
Why it matters
This study provides causal evidence that acute testosterone shifts mate evaluation within minutes, operating through distinct routes based on relationship status: reducing choosiness when single and reducing alternative derogation when partnered.
Limits
The abstract reports no numerical values, confidence intervals, or p-values. The presence of administration-order effects complicates interpretation, and laboratory ratings of static facial photographs may not fully reflect real-world romantic decision-making.