Perceptions of female body weight and shape among indigenous and urban Europeans

Swami, V. and Tovee, M. J. (2007) Perceptions of female body weight and shape among indigenous and urban Europeans. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 48 (1). pp. 43-50. ISSN 0036-5564

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Abstract

Two important cues to female physical attractiveness are body mass index (BMI) and body shape as measured by the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). This study examined the relative contribution of both cues in three culturally distinct populations. A total of 119 Finnish, Sámi and British male observers rated a set of un-edited photographs of women with known BMI and WHR. The results showed that there were significant differences in preferences for physical attractiveness, with the indigenous Sámi preferring figures with larger BMIs and more tolerant of heavy-weight figures than either Finnish participants in Helsinki or Britons in London, who were indistinguishable in their preferences for slim figures. The findings are discussed in terms of evolutionary psychological explanations of mate selection, and sociocultural theories which emphasizes the learning of preferences for body sizes in social and cultural contexts.

Keywords:body mass, body weight, ethnic and racial groups, Beauty, Body Mass Index, Waist-Hip Ratio
Subjects:C Biological Sciences > C800 Psychology
C Biological Sciences > C850 Cognitive Psychology
C Biological Sciences > C830 Experimental Psychology
C Biological Sciences > C841 Health Psychology
C Biological Sciences > C840 Clinical Psychology
Divisions:College of Social Science > School of Psychology
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ID Code:24485
Deposited On:07 Aug 2017 15:00

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