Higher facial width to height ratio predicts fighting performance and perceived aggressiveness in MMA fighters
Abstract
Previous studies showed that facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR), which is considered as cue to testosterone levels, is associated with sport performance, aggression and homicide, although the evidence is often mixed. Individuals with higher proportion of fights won showed distinctive facial structures compared to less successful individuals.
Here we tested whether the differences in fWHR are associated with the perception of aggressiveness and success in physical confrontation. Set of stimuli consisted of 146 portrait photographs of the MMA (UFC division) Caucasian origin professional fighters.
Further, we obtained data concerning their weight class, number of fights and wins within UFC, and fWHR was measured (bizygomatic width scaled for distance between the upper lip and brow). Subsequently, 618 individuals (216 men and 402 women) assessed online randomized subset of 50 photographs on their aggressiveness using verbally anchored 7-point scale.
Obtained ratings were converted into z-scores and analysed by means of bivariate correlations, partial correlations and one-way ANOVA. We found a positive correlation between fWHR and proportion of fights won.
Further, perceived aggressiveness was positively correlated with the fWHR. After we controlled for the weight category effect, which also predicts perceived aggressiveness, the link between fWHR and perceived aggressiveness remained significant.
Perceived aggressiveness positively correlates with fWHR in light-weights, trends in heavy-weights, but not in middle-weights. Our results bring additional evidence that fWHR as testosterone related morphological feature is connected with sport performance, fighting success and aggression, particularly in light-weighted males.
Despite the fWHR is relatively crude measure (compared to more subtle morphometric methods) it still might be considered as important trait for inference of male aggressiveness.