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Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science pp 1–4Cite as

Male Perception of Cycle-Related Fluctuations in Women’s Attractiveness

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Synonyms

Hormonal cues to attractiveness; Male preferences; Menstrual cycle changes

Definitions

Men tend to perceive female appearance and behavior as slightly more attractive during the follicular phase of their cycle

Introduction

Women lack the conspicuous morphological and behavioral changes related to their menstrual cycle that are seen during estrus in some old-world monkeys, such as baboons, or in some apes, such as chimpanzees. In these species, changes in morphology and behavior – including genital swelling and active sexual solicitation – tend to peak in the fertile phase of the cycle and elicit elevated interest and sexual activity in their male conspecifics. Although they are not as conspicuous, some cyclic fluctuations in physical appearance and behavior can nonetheless be observed in women.

Cyclic Change in Women’s Appearance

Studies of cyclic fluctuations in attractiveness have focused on perception of individual attributes such as faces, body odor, and voice. Several...

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References

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Acknowledgments

JH is supported by the Czech Science Foundation grant (P407/16/03899S).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

    Jan Havlíček

  2. University of Stirling, Stirling, UK

    S. Craig Roberts

Authors
  1. Jan Havlíček
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  2. S. Craig Roberts
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jan Havlíček .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Todd K. Shackelford

  2. Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Viviana A. Weekes-Shackelford

Section Editor information

  1. School of Psychology, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, Lancashire, UK

    Gayle Brewer

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© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG

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Havlíček, J., Roberts, S.C. (2017). Male Perception of Cycle-Related Fluctuations in Women’s Attractiveness. In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_8-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_8-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

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