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Social Cognition and Evolutionary Psychology: Physical Attractiveness and Contrast Effects on Women's Self‐perceived Body Image
Author(s) -
Wade T. Joel,
Abetz Heather
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
international journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.75
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1464-066X
pISSN - 0020-7594
DOI - 10.1080/002075997400953
Subject(s) - psychology , attractiveness , physical attractiveness , evolutionary psychology , perception , feeling , stimulus (psychology) , social psychology , cognition , human females , contrast (vision) , human physical appearance , developmental psychology , contrast effect , cognitive psychology , neuroscience , artificial intelligence , computer science , psychoanalysis
Self‐evaluations of body image were examined in a 2 (attractiveness of stimulus person) × 2 (sex of stimulus person) design to determine if contrast effects consistent with evolutionary psychology occur for women's self‐perceptions of their body image. Main effects for attractiveness were hypothesized. Higher self‐ratings for figure‐related aspects of body image were predicted for women exposed to an unattractive male or female. These effects were significant. Women exposed to an unnattractive male or female had more positive feelings about figure‐related aspects of their body image than women exposed to an attractive male or female. Contrast effects in accordance with evolutionary theory occur for aspects of body image that play a role in inferences regarding reproductive fitness.