Judging the health and attractiveness of female faces: is the most attractive level of facial adiposity also considered the healthiest?
Abstract
Perceived facial adiposity plays an important role in perceptions of both facial attractiveness and health, but people might differentiate between the level of adiposity they find most attractive and healthy. The aim of this study was therefore to test whether or not similar levels of adiposity in faces were preferred for judgments of health and attractiveness. Fifty-three Caucasian university students were asked to make three-dimensional female faces appear as healthy and attractive as possible by changing faces along a continuum that portrays the facial adiposity change associated with a change in body mass index. Results showed that women preferred a significantly lower level of facial adiposity when judging attractiveness than when judging health, while men did not differentiate between the 'most attractive' and 'most healthy' looking level of facial adiposity. These findings are discussed in terms of the sociocultural portrayal of female body ideals and the preference for healthy individuals.
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This is broadly consistent with previous studies which suggest the same attractiveness preferences for both genders, although some studies have found small differences.
“This is broadly consistent with previous studies which suggest the same attractiveness preferences for both genders (Coetzee et al., 2011; Stephen and Perera, 2014), although some studies have found small differences (Demarest and Allen, 2000; Bergstrom et al., 2004; Grossbard et al., 2011; Crossley et al., 2012).”
From The degree to which the cultural ideal is internalized predicts judgments of male and female physical attractiveness (2022) · cites this paper as Coetzee et al., 2011
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Ridley, B. J., Cornelissen, P. L., Maalin, N., Mohamed, S., Kramer, R. S. S., McCarty, K., & Tovée, M. J. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.980277 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
“This is broadly consistent with previous studies which suggest the same attractiveness preferences for both genders (Coetzee et al., 2011; Stephen and Perera, 2014), although some studies have found small differences (Demarest and Allen, 2000; Bergstrom et al.”
Result
- Authors
- Coetzee, V., Re, D., Perrett, D. I., Tiddeman, B. P., & Xiao, D.
- Affiliations
- University of St Andrews (GB)
- Aberystwyth University (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Coetzee, Vinet
- Venue
- Body Image
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2011-03
- Volume
- 8
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 190-193
- ISSN
- 1740-1445 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2062923362
- Cited by
- 59
- References
- 23
- Citations by year
- 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 6 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 7.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Body Image (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- British Academy
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
- Keywords
- facial attractiveness, health perception, female faces, body mass index, sex differences, body ideals, sociocultural factors
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Beauty, Cues, Face, Female, Health Status, Humans, Judgment, Male, Scotland, Social Perception, Students, Body Mass Index, Sex Distribution, Adiposity, Young Adult
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