Sexual Selection Preferences in Anthropomorphized Imagery of Interpretative Graphics in Quantitative Visualization

When choosing what we find visually attractive, men and women tend to focus on different features, even for simple shapes. This study investigates gender differences in visual feature preferences during the anthropomorphization of graphics in the context of sexual selection. We constructed a feature set consisting of 48 geometric attributes to explore how these elements affect sexual selection preferences across genders. In Study 1, we quantitatively visualized these features using genetic algorithms, GANs, and manual design. Study 2 assessed gender preferences through an online survey of 288 participants, revealing the most significant features and differences in male and female preferences.Finally, in Study 3, we applied these findings to real-world art (Chinese calligraphy) to verify the explanatory power of the features. Our results provide new insights into the role of visual features in sexual selection and have practical applications in art, product design, and user experience optimization.