I learned some of my first lessons about upcoming adolescence in youth activities at the now defunct Lakeview Christian Church. As a tag-along to the Art Williams family, I participated in Sunday School, Scouts, baseball, basketball, Wednesday night church and summer church camp. In the fifties high-growth suburbs, the principal activity in the neighborhoods was raising children. Most parents had moved to the suburbs away from their own parents and extended family influences, so parents could shop around for new churches, often shifting denominations. For example, my parents half heartedly explored a status move to the Presbyterian church from the church of their mothers--Methodist. Art Williams chose a nondenomational church that attracted arch conservative businessmen. Down the street on Old Gate Lane were White Rock United Methodist, St. Bernard's Catholic and Lakeside Baptist Church.Lakeview Christian Church had a small library for its youth group, and I was able at age 11 or so to check out a facts-of-life paperback. In more recent years, the church pastor (a 1966 BA grad, by the way) has taken a more personal interest in sex education for his flock:
White Rock United Methodist had the largest and most active youth group. By age 12 or so, we at Lakeview were hearing rumors that the Wednesday night Methodist Church service had rampant petting taking place in the parking lot.
Just as I learned about Christian love and animal sex competition at church, in my secular school system, I also could see the diverse physical changes going on in the bodies of my classmates. Suburban public schools in the Dallas fifties might have 100-150 students per age group in elementary school, feeding into junior highs with 500-700 per class, then feeding into the mother of all high schools with 4,000 students. Bryan Adams High School through the sixties was one of the largest in the state (and history of the human race) with senior classes holding more than 1,000. Today, that high school only has 2,300 students.
Adolescence for many of us began in the sixth and seventh grades. In previous grades, our peer status was to some extent controlled by teachers, who doled out rewards and withdrew status on the basis of things like cooperation, academic performance, sports, and other adult-controlled activities. Beginning with adolescence, much turmoil occurred within peer status networks. The early bloomers, who according to this research had the pick of the "dating litter," began to assign status on the basis of masculine and feminine physical characteristics, especially facial features.
Actually, precocious puberty did not always lead to picking from the litter. Being taller, broader or hairier than your classmates could lead to awkwardness and self consciousness. There is little
evidence that precociousness, per se, leads to promiscuity. Some studies do show that girls in high-stress homes, including homes with an absent father or a stepfather, have accelerated puberty. What does a biological father in the family have to do with it? Perhaps his pheromones have an effect. Precocious puberty can lead to shortened stature, a limitation especially to the male. Teenage girls on the average mature earlier than boys and often prefer boys a year or two older, more equal to them in physical maturity.
Evolutionary psychologists tell us that our adolescent hormones were leading us to pair bonding preferences based on factors such as body symmetry, averageness and sex hormone markers. Let’s look at a few:
Evolutionary psychologists tell us that our adolescent hormones were leading us to pair bonding preferences based on factors such as body symmetry, averageness and sex hormone markers. Let’s look at a few:
We can detect some marked asymmetries in facial features of this subject. Note the left eye is narrower than the right. Eyebrows do not match. One side of the mouth and lips is broader than the other. The left side of the chin and jaw are much more pronounced than on the right side.
Why would we prefer symmetry? Perhaps we instinctively recognize it as an indicator of developmental stability--someone whose genes are to be preferred in a baby we make.
Here's two chimerical symmetric composites of the male face:
A related factor is facial smoothness.
In the male figure we can detect active acne and acne scars. In the female figure a paleness, lack of uniformity in skin coloration, and lack of oil glow may indicate disease histories or genetic disabilities opposed to our preference for gene health.
Here we see two subjects with strong markers of symmetry, averageness and sex hormones. Note the male's strong, low brow; broad chin; narrow depth between brow and bottom of nose; and relative thinness of mouth. Features appear symmetrical, and no particular feature seems out of average. In the female, we note estrogen markers such as large eyes; high, up-sloping brows; full lips with modest teeth prominence; high cheekbones; and more pointed jaw. In person, both subjects likely displayed genetic and health markers such as clear, consistent complexion glow, framed within a hairset exhibiting luster and averageness.
Let's look at one more set:
Let's look at one more set:
Recent research confirms that females when horny (at a certain point in menstrual cycle) are attracted to strong testosterone markers such as seen in the second subject. Females control most pair bond choices and also prefer at other times in their mental life men with more feminine facial characteristics such as seen in the first subject. Will he invest in my progeny?
More about averageness and hormone markers, synaptogenesis, and the importance of hip-waist and chest -waist ratios in future blogs.
