Evidence versus speculation on the validity of methods for measuring masculinity preferences: Comment on Scott et al.

Abstract

Contrary to previous untested assertions (Peters et al. 2009; Penton-Voak 2011; Scott et al 2012) here I show that a 2AFC paradigm with manipulated stimuli that differ in a single dimension (shape masculinity) can provide a measure of masculinity preference that 1) was not artificially more different from chance than a measure of masculinity preference from a rating paradigm, 2) significantly correlated with a measure of masculinity preference from a rating paradigm, and 3) predicted women's ratings of both their actual and ideal partner, whereas a measure of masculinity preferences from a rating paradigm did not. These findings highlight the need to experimentally test suspected methodological problems before dismissing studies using these methodologies. © The Author 2012.