Fertility Views and Female Hair Color Preference in College Men
Sarah R. Hart *
Department of Psychology, Coastal Carolina University, Conway, South Carolina, USA
Terry F. Pettijohn II
Department of Psychology, Coastal Carolina University, Conway, South Carolina, USA
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Fertility views and hair color preferences of women in college men (n=69) were investigated in the current study. Two articles were used to prime participants to think about fertility levels as low and getting pregnant as challenging, or fertility levels as high and getting pregnant as easy. It was hypothesized that the blonde female model would be preferred more than the brunette female model in the high fertility prime condition, and male participants in the low fertility prime condition would have no hair color preference. The hypothesis was supported. The blonde model was preferred more than the brunette model in the high fertility condition and the brunette model was preferred slightly more than the blonde model in the low fertility condition. This study provides support for evolutionary psychology mate preference predictions.
Keywords: Hair color, attraction, fertility, mate preferences, evolutionary theory