Code for: Physical Attractiveness and Moral Intuitions as Mediators Between Somatic-Parental Effort and Mating Orientation

Recent studies suggest that physical attractiveness may be associated with freer moral norms, and that this in turn may influence the choice of a more permissive sexual strategy. However, other predictions come from evolutionary Life History Theory (LHT). Psychometric measures of a slow LH strategy – somatic and parental effort (SPE) – are positively associated with each of the five moral foundations discussed in Moral Foundations Theory. We predicted that physical attractiveness and moral intuitions are mediators between SPE and sociosexual desire. 326 women aged 19–33 participated in the study. A higher level of SPE was associated with a higher level of physical attractiveness. Physical attractiveness was a positive predictor of general morality, and especially of binding intuitions. General morality and binding intuitions were a predictor of a lower level of sociosexual desire.