Do modern women prefer men who are… more feminine?

Men - Photo 1.

When "handsome men" are no longer automatically synonymous with "strong men" - Photo: AI

In popular culture, the image of "manly" men like Chris Hemsworth or Jason Momoa is often seen as an attractive role model, with bulging muscles, chiseled faces, and bushy beards. However, the results of a large-scale scientific study in the UK and Japan are raising serious questions about that notion.

The study, conducted by a team of psychologists at the University of Stirling (UK), surveyed over 1,500 people of varying ages, genders, and sexual orientations. Participants were asked to rate male and female faces that had been digitally altered to appear "more masculine" or "more feminine".

The results showed that the majority of participants, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, tended to choose faces with feminine features, especially among men. This trend was most prominent among young, heterosexual women in the UK.

This helps explain the growing popularity of artists like Timothée Chalamet, Tom Holland, and Harry Styles, who have a slender, refined appearance that is far removed from the traditional masculine image.

According to Dr. Thora Bjornsdottir, the lead researcher, people not only judge attractiveness by appearance but also unconsciously infer personality from a person's face. Feminine faces in men are often associated with friendliness, thoughtfulness, and trustworthiness, while masculine faces are linked to dominance but less gentleness.

"Not everyone realizes it, but we often make a series of assumptions based solely on someone's appearance, such as whether they are trustworthy or capable," Dr. Bjornsdottir shared. This is known as the "halo effect," where a physical characteristic leads people to judge a person's character or abilities.

A key feature of the study is that it is the first to separately document the preferences of bisexual individuals. The results suggest that this is not an intermediate group between homosexual and heterosexual individuals, as is commonly believed.

For example, bisexual men in both the UK and Japan tend to prefer feminine features in women less than heterosexual men, but have fairly similar preferences when judging men. Meanwhile, bisexual women in the UK tend to prefer feminine features in men but masculine features in women, a stark contrast to bisexual women in Japan, who generally prefer androgynous faces in both sexes.

These differences demonstrate that cultural, geographical, and racial factors significantly influence aesthetics and gender norms, something that cannot be simply generalized through Western studies.

In a society that increasingly values diversity, studies like this help clarify one thing: attractiveness is not a static concept. It changes with the times, with perceptions of gender, social roles, and even... photo editing technology.

This research goes beyond mere physical preferences, reflecting profound changes in how we perceive and evaluate the people around us.

"People often think of attraction as a matter of 'the heart,' but in reality, it's a complex interplay of social feelings," Dr. Bjornsdottir concluded.

MINH HAI

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/phu-nu-hien-dai-thich-dan-ong-nu-tinh-hon-2025060311254878.htm