One of the subs I follow on Reddit had a link to a 2015 study in Evolution and Human Behavior on lumbar curvature. The study results suggested males found females attractive due to their spinal curvature, because it indicated a greater ability to bear children. That’s interesting, eh?
In the past several decades, a new field of research has developed in psychology: Evolutionary psychology. This field focuses on evaluating the evolutionary value of human behavior. For example, obsessive-compulsive hoarding behavior likely is because of our ancestors needing to save food/material for the winter months.
From an evolutionary psychology perspective, mating strategies are usually separated by short- and long-term goals. Long-term mating is generally done for the purposes of choosing a potential mate; whereas, short-term mating is likened to brief sexual encounters (Buss & Schmitt, 1993; Perilloux, Cloud, & Buss, 2012). Buss and Schmitt’s (1993) sexual strategies theory proposed females and males gain different benefits from the different types of mating (e.g., long- vs. short-term).
Instead of devolving into a discussion of mating strategies, I want to point out how this the 2015 study tracks with other research. Males engage in long-term mating strategies focused on reproduction (Strout, Fisher, Kruger, & Steeleworthy, 2010). A female who is more viable—more able to produce children—is considered better than one older. Specifically, Buss (1994) identified several key areas related to reproductive viability. In fact, researchers have found males find youth and fertility-linked traits (e.g., facial symmetry, hip-to-waist ratio, body mass index, etc.) as being desirable.
This also tracks with what we know about historical mating techniques. Our ancestral males typically utilized physical appearance as the primary facet, with social reputation and observable behavior as the two other facets to determine a female’s reproductive success. (Females, on the other hand, focused more on males who were able to protect and provide for them and their offspring.)
Overall, female and male long- and short-term mating strategies are different but follow along a similar focus, at least from the evolutionary perspective. This desire for reproduction often makes men more inclined to engage in multiple short-term mating rituals, contradicting females’ intent to just seek out potential longer-term mates.
So, the next time you think someone is attractive, it might be nice to parse out why that is? Face? Body? Or, some innate evolutionary drive.
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