Testosterone, the progesterone/estradiol ratio, and female ratings of masculine facial fluctuating asymmetry for a long-term relationship.

Idiosyncratic variation within the normal range of androgens levels in women account for significant variations in personality and behavior. We studied if testosterone introduces significant biases in women's perception of fluctuating symmetry of male faces suitability for a long-term relationship. Participants were 145 female college students asked to rate in a two-choice forced paradigm the attractiveness, suitability as a long-term partner, and economic success, fatherliness and fidelity of an asymmetric and a symmetric male face. Since our sample consists of random women interested in participating, whether for personal reasons or because they were paid to participate, we controlled for menstrual phase. All participants provided salivary samples to determine testosterone (T), estradiol (E) and progesterone (P) levels. When the P/E was low and T low-to-normal, the symmetric face was rated as more attractive, and a desirable long-term partner, but these preferences changed to the opposite when P/E was high. In high T women, neither face was rated as more attractive, independently from the P/E ratio, but the asymmetric face was preferred as a long-term partner when conception risk was high, changing to prefer the symmetric face as the P/E increased. The overall perception of male faces was that the symmetric face was more economical successful but a poor parent and highly unfaithful compared to the asymmetric face. A significant interaction between T and P/E for ratings success of the asymmetric face suggests that high levels of feminine T might be related to inter-sexual competition when conception risk is high.