Citation

Wen G, Zheng L. Pers. Individ. Dif. 2020; 157: e109832.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.paid.2020.109832

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Facial width to height ratio (fWHR) has been related to aggression in men in Western samples. This study examined whether fWHR predicted intimate partner violence and dominance in committed relationships in a Chinese sample (n = 144). fWHR was measured in two ways: (1) bizygomatic width divided by the distance between the upper lip and mid-brow and (2) bizygomatic width divided by the distance between the upper lip and highest point of the eyelids. The Conflict Tactics Scale 2 was used to measure intimate partner violence. The 39 items assessed individuals' aggression in five dimensions: (1) negotiation, (2) psychological aggression, (3) physical assault, (4) sexual coercion, and (5) injury. Dominance was measured using the 32-item Dominance Scale where higher scores indicated more dominance. The results found no significant sex differences regarding fWHR. The men that reported a physical assault had larger fWHRs than the men who had no physical assaults. Both fWHRs were positively associated with the men's, but not the women's, physical assault score. Both fWHRs were significantly associated with the disparagement dimension of dominance among the women, but not among the men. The findings indicated the cross-racial consistency of the association between fWHR and aggressive behaviors in multiple situations.

Language: en

Keywords

Aggression; Dominance; Facial width-to-height ratio; Intimate partner violence