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Individual variation in sexually dimorphic cognitive capacities for understanding people (empathizing) and things (systemizing) is related to career choice: individuals in careers dominated by women tend to exhibit higher empathy than individuals in male-dominated careers, who tend to score higher in systemizing. We tested this pattern in a Brazilian population. In Study I, using University public data (1980–2015), we found that exact sciences attracted significantly more males, whereas humanities and bio-sciences attracted more females throughout the 35-year period. Further, during the time period studied, there was a consistent growth of interest in both men and women in studying both exact sciences and humanities. In Study II, using the GLM analysis of an undergraduate sample of 248 men and 325 women, we replicated the sex differences in empathizing and systemizing, and found that, regardless of sex, individuals in humanities and bio-sciences score higher on empathizing and lower on systemizing than those in exact sciences. These results corroborate the sexually dimorphic pattern in career choice and in empathizing-systemizing, and show the importance of cognitive style as one of the factors related to university majors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary sexual characteristics that are consistently noticed by individuals of the opposite sex (e.g., female breasts) have been shown to be linked to individual qualities, such as health and/or fertility. However, it is not clear whether homosexual individuals seek similar traits in their potential partners as their heterosexual counterparts. Here we investigated preferences and choices for female buttock size, breast size and shape, and WHR among non-heterosexual women and heterosexual men in two diverse populations, Brazil and the Czech Republic. On average, participants mostly preferred younger-looking female breasts, medium to bigger buttock and breast size, and WHR of 0.7. However, men preferred bigger buttocks and breasts, and smaller WHR than women. Possibly, non-heterosexual women have lower motivation to search for indicators of fecundity and fertility in their potential female partners. Further, Brazilians preferred larger breasts and buttocks than Czechs, although there was no difference in preferred breast shape and WHR. We also found evidence for preferred homogamy and an imprinting-like effect among men and women. In general, preferences differed from actual choices. In sum, personal experience (imprinting-like effect), own characteristics (own physical traits, sexual orientation) and external factors (population) can calibrate individual differences in preferences for specific physical traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personality is important for social and romantic life, but little is known about personality preferences in non-heterosexual individuals. Here we investigated individual differences in personality (Five Factor Model) of an ideal and actual partner, and in self-reported personality among heterosexual and non-heterosexual men and women in two populations (Brazil, the Czech Republic). In an online survey participated 701 men (316 non-heterosexuals) and 1118 women (240 non-heterosexuals), who reported five personality dimensions of their own, their ideal and, if coupled, actual partner. Results showed that participants, on average, desired high scores on all socially desirable personality traits in their ideal partners. As predicted from parental investment theory, heterosexual women showed highest demands, followed by non-heterosexual women and non-heterosexual men, who had higher demands than heterosexual men. However, actual partners did not reach the ideal standards in any of the groups. Further, preferences and choices were partly influenced by familiarity, or the distribution of the given characteristic in the given population. Thus, mating psychology can be influenced by many factors, such as sex, sexual orientation, and population. Combining cross-cultural research with focus on different sexual orientations can reveal inter-individual differences in mate preferences and choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Height and dominance influence mate preferences and choices. We explored preferred relative height (PRH) among ideal partners and actual relative height (ARH) among long-term partners in heterosexual and non-heterosexual men and women from Brazil and the Czech Republic. Furthermore, we tested whether PRH and ARH are influenced by own height, and submissiveness-dominance in relationship and sexual activities. In a sample of 1709 respondents (379 heterosexual men, 311 non-heterosexual men, 853 heterosexual women, and 166 non-heterosexual women) heterosexual individuals showed the ‘male-taller-pattern’ preferences and choices, while non-heterosexuals preferred and chose partners of a height similar to themselves; an ‘equal-height-pattern’. Regression analyses further showed that own height positively predicted both PRH and ARH in all four groups of participants. Moreover, non-heterosexual men and women who preferred to be dominant in sexual activities and heterosexual men who preferred to be dominant in relationships preferred to be taller than their partner. Thus, in Western populations, preferences for relative height differ between heterosexual and non-heterosexual individuals, but in both cases they relate to dyadic submissiveness-dominance and own height. Preferences for relative height and dominance can work as a guide to actual mate choices enhancing ancestral fitness, although they differ from actual choices in modern humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]