Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34676468›Full record

ArticleArchives of sexual behavior2021

Are Beards Honest Signals of Male Dominance and Testosterone?

Marta Kowal, Piotr Sorokowski, Agnieszka Żelaźniewicz, Judyta Nowak, Sylwester Orzechowski, Grzegorz Żurek, Alina Żurek, Magdalena Nawrat

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Archives of sexual behavior, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Does the primate face cue personality?Personality neuroscience · 2023
    Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Marta KowalInstitute of Psychology, University of Wrocław, Dawida 1, 50-529, Wrocław, Poland.
Piotr SorokowskiInstitute of Psychology, University of Wrocław, Dawida 1, 50-529, Wrocław, Poland. sorokowskipiotr@yahoo.co.uk.
Agnieszka ŻelaźniewiczDepartment of Human Biology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland.
Judyta NowakDepartment of Human Biology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland.
Sylwester OrzechowskiInstitute of Psychology, University of Wrocław, Dawida 1, 50-529, Wrocław, Poland.
Grzegorz ŻurekUniversity School of Physical Education in Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland.
Alina ŻurekInstitute of Psychology, University of Wrocław, Dawida 1, 50-529, Wrocław, Poland.
Magdalena NawratInstitute of Psychology, University of Wrocław, Dawida 1, 50-529, Wrocław, Poland.

Funding

University of Wroclaw 2019_002
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The male beard is one of the most visually salient and sexually dimorphic traits and a hypothesized potential marker of other traits, such as dominance, masculinity, social status, and self-confidence. However, as men can easily alter their facial hair, beards may provide unreliable information about the beard owner's characteristics. Here, we examined whether beards are honest signals of biological (testosterone levels) and psychological (self-reported dominance) traits. Young (M = 21.29, SD = 1.54) and healthy men (N = 97) participated in the study. Their beards were measured directly (using digital calipers) and by self-report. Participants provided saliva samples before and after acute exercise (to assess their testosterone and cortisol levels) and reported their dominance on a 5-item scale. The results showed that beard length (directly measured and self-reported) was not related to testosterone levels or dominance; thus, no evidence was found to support the hypothesis that beards are honest (or dishonest) signals of the beard owners' testosterone levels and dominance.

Indexed as

Social StatusTestosteroneFaceHumansMaleMasculinitySalivaSexual BehaviorSocial DominanceTestosteroneAndrogensBeardDominanceMasculinitySalivary Testosterone

Identifiers

PMID34676468

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.