Is it possible for a woman to predict whether a man will be a good father to their offsprings? Researchers at the University of Michigan think there is- by studying his face.
In the December issue of Personal Relationships, results of an online study revealed that men with “low facial masculinity” made better parents.
854 male and female undergraduate students were shown male faces that had been altered to look more and less feminine. This was done by adjusting facial features, the shape of the jaw, for instance. The participants were then asked which of the men they would prefer as mates, dates, fathers of their children or companions for their girlfriends.
The researchers noted that sometimes minor physiological differences lead the participants to pre-judge a man’s personality and behavior. They concluded that some people believe that there is a link between how a person looks and their personality, although there is no evidence that such a link exists.
If you’re looking for a potential mate and father, then should you steer clear of men with “highly masculine faces”? According to the experiment, women consider these men more likely to get into physical fights, have affairs and generally they wouldn’t make good fathers. The men with more feminine faces were considered more likely to be good husbands and as fathers they would be great with the kids. According to the researchers, more feminine features were indicative of a man who was more compassionate and kind, both toward their mate and their kids.
This is one of those research findings that left me scratching my head. It’s an interesting notion but I’m not sold on the idea. As the saying goes, “You can’t judge a book by its’ cover.” I don’t believe you can look at a man and know for sure what type of father he will make. You have to trust your overall instincts about the man and not simply focus on how he looks. That’s my opinion. What’s yours?
See also:
A Feminist Mom Copes With The Macho Years
Stepfathers- Preparing Your Children