IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v17y2020i18p6902-d416843.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Can Physical and/or Sexual Abuse Play a Role in the Female Choice of a Partner? A Cross-Sectional, Correlational Pilot Study

Author

Listed:
  • Erika Limoncin

    (Chair of Endocrinology and Medical Sexology (ENDOSEX), Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy)

  • Caterina Solano

    (Chair of Endocrinology and Medical Sexology (ENDOSEX), Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy)

  • Giacomo Ciocca

    (Chair of Endocrinology and Medical Sexology (ENDOSEX), Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
    Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy)

  • Daniele Mollaioli

    (Chair of Endocrinology and Medical Sexology (ENDOSEX), Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy)

  • Elena Colonnello

    (Chair of Endocrinology and Medical Sexology (ENDOSEX), Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy)

  • Andrea Sansone

    (Chair of Endocrinology and Medical Sexology (ENDOSEX), Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy)

  • Filippo Maria Nimbi

    (Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy)

  • Chiara Simonelli

    (Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy)

  • Renata Tambelli

    (Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy)

  • Emmanuele Angelo Jannini

    (Chair of Endocrinology and Medical Sexology (ENDOSEX), Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy)

Abstract

The present study aims to evaluate the relationship in women between a history of physical/sexual abuse and the preferences regarding the choice of a partner for a short/long-term relationship in terms of male facial dimorphism, and to assess their sexual functioning. We enrolled 48 abused women and 60 non-abused women. Facial preferences were evaluated with the Morphing test. Sexual functioning was measured with the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). Regarding the choice for a short-term partner, abused and non-abused women did not show any differences, and both groups chose a less masculine male face. On the other hand, regarding the choice for a long-term partner, abused women showed a preference for an average male face, whilst non-abused women preferred a less masculine face. The sexual functioning of abused women was found significantly dysfunctional in all domains of the FSFI. These data, generated from a small but highly selected cohort, demonstrated that physical/sexual abuse may be associated with a more rational and conscious choice of a male partner for a long-term relationship, but not with an instinctive one, as the choice of an occasional partner. In addition, the sexual functioning of abused women appears to be compromised by the traumatic experience.

Suggested Citation

  • Erika Limoncin & Caterina Solano & Giacomo Ciocca & Daniele Mollaioli & Elena Colonnello & Andrea Sansone & Filippo Maria Nimbi & Chiara Simonelli & Renata Tambelli & Emmanuele Angelo Jannini, 2020. "Can Physical and/or Sexual Abuse Play a Role in the Female Choice of a Partner? A Cross-Sectional, Correlational Pilot Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-13, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:18:p:6902-:d:416843
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/18/6902/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/18/6902/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. I. S. Penton-Voak & D. I. Perrett & D. L. Castles & T. Kobayashi & D. M. Burt & L. K. Murray & R. Minamisawa, 1999. "Menstrual cycle alters face preference," Nature, Nature, vol. 399(6738), pages 741-742, June.
    2. Isabel M.L. Scott & Andrew P. Clark & Lynda G. Boothroyd & Ian S. Penton-Voak, 2013. "Do men’s faces really signal heritable immunocompetence?," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 24(3), pages 579-589.
    3. Manuela Costa & Guillaume Lio & Alice Gomez & Angela Sirigu, 2017. "How components of facial width to height ratio differently contribute to the perception of social traits," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(2), pages 1-12, February.
    4. D. I. Perrett & K. J. Lee & I. Penton-Voak & D. Rowland & S. Yoshikawa & D. M. Burt & S. P. Henzi & D. L. Castles & S. Akamatsu, 1998. "Effects of sexual dimorphism on facial attractiveness," Nature, Nature, vol. 394(6696), pages 884-887, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jin-Ying Zhuang & Sen Zhang & Jing Xu & Die Hu, 2014. "Discriminating Males and Unpredictable Females: Males Differentiate Self-Similar Facial Cues More than Females in the Judgment of Opposite-Sex Attractiveness," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(3), pages 1-9, March.
    2. Jan Havliček & Kelly D. Cobey & Louise Barrett & Kateřina Klapilová & S. Craig Roberts, 2015. "The spandrels of Santa Barbara? A new perspective on the peri-ovulation paradigm," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 26(5), pages 1249-1260.
    3. Francisco B. Galarza & Gustavo Yamada, 2017. "Triple penalty in employment access: The role of beauty, race, and sex," Journal of Applied Economics, Universidad del CEMA, vol. 20, pages 29-47, May.
    4. Jeanne Bovet & Michel Raymond, 2015. "Preferred Women’s Waist-to-Hip Ratio Variation over the Last 2,500 Years," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(4), pages 1-13, April.
    5. Ghoshal, Gourab & Holme, Petter, 2006. "Attractiveness and activity in Internet communities," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 364(C), pages 603-609.
    6. Anthony C. Little & Vít Třebický & Jan Havlíček & S. Craig Roberts & Karel Kleisner, 2015. "Editor's choice Human perception of fighting ability: facial cues predict winners and losers in mixed martial arts fights," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 26(6), pages 1470-1475.
    7. Zaneta M Thayer & Seth D Dobson, 2013. "Geographic Variation in Chin Shape Challenges the Universal Facial Attractiveness Hypothesis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(4), pages 1-5, April.
    8. Stanton, Angela A., 2008. "Neuroeconomics: A Critique of 'Neuroeconomics: A Critical Reconsideration'," MPRA Paper 7928, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Borau, Sylvie & Bonnefon, Jean-François, 2020. "Gendered products act as the extended phenotype of human sexual dimorphism: They increase physical attractiveness and desirability," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 498-508.
    10. Thomas Buser, 2011. "Hormones and Social Preferences," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 11-046/3, Tinbergen Institute.
    11. Isabel M L Scott & Nicholas Pound & Ian D Stephen & Andrew P Clark & Ian S Penton-Voak, 2010. "Does Masculinity Matter? The Contribution of Masculine Face Shape to Male Attractiveness in Humans," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 5(10), pages 1-10, October.
    12. Buser, Thomas, 2012. "Digit ratios, the menstrual cycle and social preferences," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 76(2), pages 457-470.
    13. Victor Shiramizu & Ciaran Docherty & Lisa M DeBruine & Benedict C Jones, 2020. "Sexual orientation predicts men’s preferences for sexually dimorphic face-shape characteristics: A replication study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(11), pages 1-6, November.
    14. Dariusz P. Danel & Kasper Kalinowski & Natalia Nowak-Szczepanska & Anna Ziomkiewicz-Wichary & Anna Apanasewicz & Krzysztof Borysławski & Sławomir Kozieł & Danuta Kornafel & Pawel Fedurek, 2020. "Shifts in Female Facial Attractiveness during Pregnancy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-10, July.
    15. Francisco Galarza & Gustavo Yamada & Carlos Zelada, 2015. "Cuesta arriba para los afroperuanos: evidencia de la discriminación en el acceso al mercado laboral de Lima Metropolitana," Working Papers 15-03, Centro de Investigación, Universidad del Pacífico.
    16. Mariska E Kret & Masaki Tomonaga, 2016. "Getting to the Bottom of Face Processing. Species-Specific Inversion Effects for Faces and Behinds in Humans and Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes)," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(11), pages 1-13, November.
    17. Klaus Sinko & Ulrich S Tran & Arno Wutzl & Rudolf Seemann & Gabriele Millesi & Reinhold Jagsch, 2018. "Perception of aesthetics and personality traits in orthognathic surgery patients: A comparison of still and moving images," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(5), pages 1-12, May.
    18. José Antonio Muñoz-Reyes & Marta Iglesias-Julios & Miguel Pita & Enrique Turiegano, 2015. "Facial Features: What Women Perceive as Attractive and What Men Consider Attractive," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(7), pages 1-17, July.
    19. Lynda G Boothroyd & Alan W Gray & Thomas N Headland & Ray T Uehara & David Waynforth & D Michael Burt & Nicholas Pound, 2017. "Male Facial Appearance and Offspring Mortality in Two Traditional Societies," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(1), pages 1-11, January.
    20. Santiago Sanchez-Pages & Claudia Rodriguez-Ruiz & Enrique Turiegano, 2014. "Facial Masculinity: How the Choice of Measurement Method Enables to Detect Its Influence on Behaviour," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(11), pages 1-10, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:18:p:6902-:d:416843. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.