WHAT DO PEOPLE WITH PROSOPAGNOSIA FIND SEXUALLY ATTRACTIVE?

Abstract Objectives Prosopagnosia is a form of visual agnosia in which the ability to perceive and recognize faces is impaired, whereas the ability to recognize other objects may be relatively unaffected. Given overwhelming evidence that facial cues are predominant sources of sexual attraction, we wondered whether these cues might be downplayed as sources of sexual attraction in people with prosopagnosia relative to people without prosopagnosia. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was used to gather data on participant demographics, attraction preferences, sexual fantasies, and face recognition ability (using the validated 20-item Prosopagnosia Index, PI-20). A total of 44 participants (24 females, 20 males) with prosopagnosia were recruited either through social media under “#prosopagnosia” where they were contacted in private chats after seeing that they had shared a post or talked about their life with prosopagnosia, or prosopagnosia forums. A total of 93 participants (71 females, 22 males) without prosopagnosia were recruited based on proximity and availability. Every effort was made to match participants on age and sex for both groups. Data were analyzed using Chi square and factorial ANOVAs. Results People with prosopagnosia scored above the cut-off on the PI-20. People without prosopagnosia scored below the cut-off. There were no sex differences. Relative to people without prosopagnosia, those with prosopagnosia reported less importance overall of physical features in their assessments of sexual attractivity. This was especially true for facial features, and in particular, eye color and smile. Although both groups had sexual fantasies, significantly more people with prosopagnosia reported not having fantasies about attractive people. Interestingly, facial symmetry was not important for sexual attraction in either group. Compatibility and a good sense of humor were highly important for sexual attraction in both groups, whereas vocal timbre, body type, muscle tone, and smell, were moderately important for both groups. There were no differences between groups in the number or duration of sexual or romantic relationships. Conclusions Relative to people without prosopagnosia, those with prosopagnosia downplay physical and facial cues as important factors in assessments of sexual attraction. Fewer have sexual fantasies about attractive persons. Conflicts of Interest None.