From Physique to Feelings: Deciphering the Body–Jealousy Connection in Women's Responses to Feminine Vocal Cues

Abstract

Jealousy typically emerges when individuals sense that their romantic relationships may be threatened by others who display characteristics indicative of high mate quality. Previous research has found that in contexts of intrasexual competition, feminine female voices indicate high mate value and elicit stronger jealousy responses from other women. However, studies on individual differences in jealousy sensitivity are limited. Body size is an important factor that influences women's mating behavior. In the current study, we investigated the effect of women's height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) on their jealousy sensitivity to other women's vocal femininity. Results showed that women perceived more feminine voices as more jealousy-inducing, and this effect was modulated by body size. Taller women demonstrated heightened sensitivity to vocal changes in pitch and formants, while slimmer women and those with a lower BMI showed increased sensitivity to pitch variations in competitive scenarios. These findings indicate that body size significantly shapes individual differences in jealousy sensitivity during intrasexual competition. Our study supports the mate quality–jealousy hypothesis, highlighting how traits perceived as indicators of higher mate quality amplify jealousy responses. The current research extends the literature on vocal cues and attractiveness by demonstrating how these factors influence emotional reactions such as jealousy.

Keywords

body size / intrasexual competition / jealousy / pitch / sexual dimorphism

References

[1] Abitbol, J., P. Abitbol, and B. Abitbol. 1999. “Sex Hormones and the Female Voice.” Journal of Voice 13, no. 3: 424–446. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0892-1997(99)80048-4.

[2] Atkinson, J., R. N. Pipitone, A. Sorokowska, et al. 2012. “Voice and Handgrip Strength Predict Reproductive Success in a Group of Indigenous African Females.” PLoS One 7, no. 8: e41811. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0041811.

[3] Aung, T., A. K. Hill, J. K. Hlay, et al. 2024. “Effects of Voice Pitch on Social Perceptions Vary With Relational Mobility and Homicide Rate.” Psychological Science 35, no. 3: 250–262. https://doi.org/10.1177/09567976231222288.

[4] Barr, D. J. 2013. “Random Effects Structure for Testing Interactions in Linear Mixed-Effects Models.” Frontiers in Psychology 4: 328. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00328.

[5] Barr, D. J., R. Levy, C. Scheepers, and H. J. Tily. 2013. “Random Effects Structure for Confirmatory Hypothesis Testing: Keep It Maximal.” Journal of Memory and Language 68, no. 3: 255–278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2012.11.001.

[6] Boersma, P., and D. Weenink. 2013. “Praat: Doing Phonetics by Computer [Computer software].” http://www.fon.hum.uva.nl/praat/.

[7] Brewer, G., and C. Riley. 2009. “Height, Relationship Satisfaction, Jealousy, and Mate Retention.” Evolutionary Psychology 7, no. 3: 147470490900700310. https://doi.org/10.1177/147470490900700310.

[8] Buss, D. M. 2002. “Human mate guarding.” Neuroendocrinology Letters 23, no. 4: 23–29.

[9] Buss, D. M., and T. K. Shackelford. 2008. “Attractive Women Want It all: Good Genes, Economic Investment, Parenting Proclivities, and Emotional Commitment.” Evolutionary Psychology 6, no. 1: 34–146. https://doi.org/10.1177/147470490800600116.

[10] Buss, D. M., T. K. Shackelford, J. A. E. Choe, B. P. Buunk, and P. Dijkstra. 2000. “Distress About Mating Rivals.” Personal Relationships 7, no. 3: 235–243. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6811.2000.tb00014.x.

[11] Buunk, A. P., A. M. Fernandez, and J. A. Muñoz-Reyes. 2019. “Height as Related to Self-Perceived Mate Value and Attractiveness.” Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences 13, no. 1: 93–100. https://doi.org/10.1037/ebs0000132.

[12] Buunk, A. P., J. H. Park, R. Zurriaga, L. Klavina, and K. Massar. 2008. “Height Predicts Jealousy Differently for Men and Women.” Evolution and Human Behavior 29, no. 2: 133–139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2007.11.006.

[13] Buunk, B. P. 1997. “Personality, Birth Order and Attachment Styles as Related to Various Types of Jealousy.” Personality and Individual Differences 23, no. 6: 997–1006. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(97)00136-0.

[14] Cawley, J., K. Joyner, and J. Sobal. 2006. “Size Matters: The Influence of Adolescents' Weight and Height on Dating and Sex.” Rationality and Society 18, no. 1: 67–94. https://doi.org/10.1177/1043463106060153.

[15] Chen, S., C. Han, S. Wang, et al. 2022. “Hearing the Physical Condition: The Relationship Between Sexually Dimorphic Vocal Traits and Underlying Physiology.” Frontiers in Psychology 13: 983688. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.983688.

[16] Courtiol, A., M. Raymond, B. Godelle, and J.-B. Ferdy. 2010. “Mate Choice and Human Stature: Homogamy as a Unified Framework for Understanding Mating Preferences.” Evolution 64, no. 8: 2189–2203. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1558-5646.2010.00985.x.

[17] Dijkstra, P., and B. P. Buunk. 1998. “Jealousy as a Function of Rival Characteristics: An Evolutionary Perspective.” Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 24, no. 11: 1158–1166. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672982411003.

[18] Dijkstra, P., and B. P. Buunk. 2001. “Sex Differences in the Jealousy-Evoking Nature of a Rival's Body Build.” Evolution and Human Behavior 22, no. 5: 335–341. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1090-5138(01)00070-8.

[19] Dijkstra, P., and B. P. Buunk. 2002. “Sex Differences in the Jealousy-Evoking Effect of Rival Characteristics.” European Journal of Social Psychology 32, no. 6: 829–852. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.125.

[20] Faul, F., E. Erdfelder, A. Buchner, and A. G. Lang. 2009. “Statistical Power Analyses Using G* Power 3.1: Tests for Correlation and Regression Analyses.” Behavior Research Methods 41, no. 4: 1149–1160. https://doi.org/10.3758/BRM.41.4.1149.

[21] Feinberg, D. R. 2008. “Are Human Faces and Voices Ornaments Signaling Common Underlying Cues to Mate Value?” Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News, and Reviews: Issues, News, and Reviews 17, no. 2: 112–118. https://doi.org/10.1002/evan.20166.

[22] Feinberg, D. R., B. C. Jones, L. M. DeBruine, et al. 2005. “The Voice and Face of Woman: One Ornament That Signals Quality?” Evolution and Human Behavior 26, no. 5: 398–408. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2005.04.001.

[23] Gildersleeve, K., M. G. Haselton, and M. R. Fales. 2014. “Do Women's Mate Preferences Change Across the Ovulatory Cycle? A Meta-Analytic Review.” Psychological Bulletin 140, no. 5: 1205. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035438.

[24] Han, C., X. Lei, P. Yan, X. Li, and E. R. Morrison. 2021. “Age Differences in Preferences for Body Physique.” Personality and Individual Differences 181: 111033. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2021.111033.

[25] Han, C., X. Li, S. Wang, et al. 2023. “The Picky Men: Men's Preference for Women's Body Differed Among Attractiveness, Health, and Fertility Conditions.” Personality and Individual Differences 201: 111921. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2022.111921.

[26] Jones, B. C., L. M. DeBruine, D. I. Perrett, A. C. Little, D. R. Feinberg, and M. J. Law Smith. 2008. “Effects of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Face Preferences.” Archives of Sexual Behavior 37, no. 1: 78–84. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-007-9268-y.

[27] Krems, J. A., R. Neel, S. L. Neuberg, D. A. Puts, and D. T. Kenrick. 2016. “Women Selectively Guard Their (Desirable) Mates From Ovulating Women.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 110, no. 4: 551–573. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000044.

[28] Kuznetsova, A., P. B. Brockhoff, and R. H. Christensen. 2017. “lmerTest Package: Tests in Linear Mixed Effects Models.” Journal of Statistical Software 82, no. 13: 1–26. https://doi.org/10.18637/jss.v082.i13.

[29] Lei, N., H. Wang, C. Han, L. M. DeBruine, and B. C. Jones. 2019. “The Influence of Facial Femininity on Chinese and White UK Women's Jealousy.” Evolutionary Psychological Science 5, no. 1: 109–112. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/hk5gc.

[30] Lindholm, P., E. Vilkman, T. Raudaskoski, E. Suvanto-Luukkonen, and A. Kauppila. 1997. “The Effect of Postmenopause and Postmenopausal HRT on Measured Voice Values and Vocal Symptoms.” Maturitas 28, no. 1: 47–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-5122(97)00062-5.

[31] Little, A. C., B. C. Jones, and L. M. DeBruine. 2011. “Facial Attractiveness: Evolutionary Based Research.” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, B: Biological Sciences 366, no. 1571: 1638–1659. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2010.0404.

[32] O'Connor, J. J., and D. R. Feinberg. 2012. “The Influence of Facial Masculinity and Voice Pitch on Jealousy and Perceptions of Intrasexual Rivalry.” Personality and Individual Differences 52, no. 3: 369–373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2011.10.036.

[33] Pavela, I., B. Banai, and N. Šimic. 2014. “Height and Jealousy Over Partner's ex and a New Rival Among Coupled Men and Women.” Journal of Evolutionary Psychology 12, no. 2–4: 81–95. https://doi.org/10.1556/JEP-D-14-00006.

[34] Peirce, J., J. R. Gray, S. Simpson, et al. 2019. “PsychoPy2: Experiments in Behavior Made Easy.” Behavior Research Methods 51, no. 1: 195–203. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-018-01193-y.

[35] Pipitone, R. N., and G. G. Gallup 2008. “Women's Voice Attractiveness Varies Across the Menstrual Cycle.” Evolution and Human Behavior 29, no. 4: 268–274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2008.02.001.

[36] Pisanski, K., P. J. Fraccaro, C. C. Tigue, et al. 2014. “Vocal Indicators of Body Size in Men and Women: A Meta-Analysis.” Animal Behaviour 95: 89–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.06.011.

[37] Pisanski, K., A. Oleszkiewicz, J. Plachetka, M. Gmiterek, and D. Reby. 2018. “Voice Pitch Modulation in Human Mate Choice.” Proceedings of the Royal Society B 285, no. 1893: 20181634. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.1634.

[38] Puts, D. 2016. “Human Sexual Selection.” Current Opinion in Psychology 7: 28–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.07.011.

[39] Puts, D. A., C. L. Apicella, and R. A. Cárdenas. 2012. “Masculine Voices Signal Men's Threat Potential in Forager and Industrial Societies.” Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 279, no. 1728: 601–609. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2011.0829.

[40] Puts, D. A., D. H. Bailey, R. A. Cárdenas, et al. 2013. “Women's Attractiveness Changes With Estradiol and Progesterone Across the Ovulatory Cycle.” Hormones and Behavior 63, no. 1: 13–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.11.007.

[41] Puts, D. A., J. L. Barndt, L. L. Welling, K. Dawood, and R. P. Burriss. 2011. “Intrasexual Competition Among Women: Vocal Femininity Affects Perceptions of Attractiveness and Flirtatiousness.” Personality and Individual Differences 50, no. 1: 111–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2010.09.011.

[42] R Core Team. 2023. R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing [Computer Software]. R Foundation for Statistical Computing. https://www.R-project.org/.

[43] Rydell, R. J., and R. G. Bringle. 2007. “Differentiating Reactive and Suspicious Jealousy.” Social Behavior and Personality 35, no. 8: 1099–1114. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2007.35.8.1099.

[44] Salska, I., D. A. Frederick, B. Pawlowski, A. H. Reilly, K. T. Laird, and N. A. Rudd. 2008. “Conditional Mate Preferences: Factors Influencing Preferences for Height.” Personality and Individual Differences 44, no. 1: 203–215. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2007.08.008.

[45] Singh, D. 1993. “Adaptive Significance of Female Physical Attractiveness: Role of Waist-To-Hip Ratio.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 65, no. 2: 293–307. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.65.2.293.

[46] Smith, H. M., A. K. Dunn, T. Baguley, and P. C. Stacey. 2016. “Concordant Cues in Faces and Voices: Testing the Backup Signal Hypothesis.” Evolutionary Psychology 14, no. 1: 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1177/1474704916630317.

[47] Smits, J., and C. W. Monden. 2012. “Taller Indian Women Are More Successful at the Marriage Market.” American Journal of Human Biology 24, no. 4: 473–478. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.22248.

[48] Stulp, G., and L. Barrett. 2016. “Evolutionary Perspectives on Human Height Variation.” Biological Reviews 91, no. 1: 206–234. https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12165.

[49] Swami, V., and M. J. Tovée. 2005. “Age Differences in Preferences for Body Physique.” Body Image 2, no. 2: 115–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2005.02.002.

[50] Venners, S. A., X. Liu, M. J. Perry, et al. 2006. “Urinary Estrogen and Progesterone Metabolite Concentrations in Menstrual Cycles of Fertile Women With Non-Conception, Early Pregnancy Loss or Clinical Pregnancy.” Human Reproduction 21, no. 9: 2272–2280. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/del187.

[51] Vukovic, J., D. R. Feinberg, L. DeBruine, F. G. Smith, and B. C. Jones. 2010. “Women's Voice Pitch Is Negatively Correlated With Health Risk Factors.” Journal of Evolutionary Psychology 8, no. 3: 217–225. https://doi.org/10.1556/JEP.8.2010.3.2.

[52] Watkins, C. D., P. J. Fraccaro, F. G. Smith, et al. 2010. “Taller Men Are Less Sensitive to Cues of Dominance in Other Men.” Behavioral Ecology 21, no. 5: 943–947. https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arq091.

[53] Zamponi, V., R. Mazzilli, F. Mazzilli, and M. Fantini. 2021. “Effect of Sex Hormones on Human Voice Physiology: From Childhood to Senescence.” Hormones 20, no. 4: 691–696. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42000-021-00298-y.

[54] Zhang, J. 2016. “A Higher-Than-Average Female Voice Can Cause Young Adult Female Listeners to Think About Aggression More.” Journal of Language and Social Psychology 35, no. 6: 645–666. https://doi.org/10.1177/0261927x16635219.

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2025 The Author(s). PsyCh Journal published by Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.