Premium
Figure Attractiveness: Male and Female Preferences for Female Figures
Author(s) -
Douty Helen I.,
Bran Evelyn L.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
home economics research journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.372
H-Index - 31
eISSN - 1552-3934
pISSN - 0046-7774
DOI - 10.1177/1077727x8401300204
Subject(s) - attractiveness , psychology , physical attractiveness , silhouette , facial attractiveness , social psychology , computer science , artificial intelligence , psychoanalysis
The principal objectives of this study were (1) to identify figure characteristics that trigger pervasive judgments on attractiveness and (2) to develop and apply a new research method for securing assessments under the realistic conditions of complex figures with multiple varied characteristics. Ratings on attractiveness of 29 female figures with variant physiques were made by college students—20 men and 20 women. Somatographs of the figures (silhouette photographs taken under controlled conditions) served as stimuli for the responses during interview sessions. Attractiveness/unattractiveness was rated on a five‐point scale from side and back views; open‐end questions were used to identify figure characteristics that influenced the ratings. Hypotheses predicted significant agreement among ratings of subjects within male and female groups, and between male and female raters. Subjects' ratings on figure attractiveness were significantly related, indi cating general agreement on attractiveness. Admired and disapproved figure characteristics were identified.