PhD. Urszula M. Marcinkowska
Sexual imprinting in humans
I have been working with how our family influences our sexual preferences. In detail, how the fact of looking often at our parents' and siblings' faces increases our later preference for putative partner's facial features (positive sexual imprinting). Another mechanism is aversion that we develop towards our kin, which may later on be transferred to individuals who are facially similar to our kin (negative sexual imprinting). There is vast discussion on how positive and negative sexual imprinting works in humans. My articles supported some of the hypothesis (existence of positive sexual imprinting in men, based on similarity between their partner and mother), and did not find support for other ones (existence of such imprinting in women). All in all the topic is under vast and interesting discussion.
Eye-tracking and sexual preferences
Eye-tracking means recording the micro-movements of the eye (gaze), following the attention of the observer. In this way we measure how long and how many times a person looked at a certain object or object's part (fixated on it). We can also record the pupil dilation - physiological reaction for attraction, fear or laughter. Eye-tracking has been used in our studies to check whether gaze follows the overt reaction of the participants, i.e. whether they look longer, fixate more often on faces they then judge as more attractive.
Cross-cultural studies
Cross-cultural data provides us with an in-depth possibility to examine mate choice - a number of studies have found cross-cultural variation in the sexual preferences of both men and women. Our cross-cultural research is one of the largest up to date records on men’s sexual preferences. Controlling differences between different countries is a strong base for further analysis of variation in preferences in different cultures. This is particularly important when bearing in mind that the ideals of beauty are strongly influenced by changes in socio-economic status and fashion, and so can change preferences temporarily and geographically. By conducting research in various cultures we can show underlying biological bases that are later on modulated by life experience and culture.
Hormones
Hormones underlying the secondary sexual features (femininity and masculinity of the face and body) influence also people's sexual preferences, behaviour and attitudes. It was also found that during menstrual cycle, the fluctuation of oestrogen and progesterone responsible for ovulation influences as well women's preference towards more or less masculine faces, parental displays of men and sexual behaviours. In our studies we analyse the correlation between women's sexuality and physiologically measured levels of hormones and ovulation.