Ray Garza, Roberto R. Heredia, & Anna B. Cieslicka Male and Female Perception of Physical Attractiveness: An Eye Movement Study Ray Garza, Roberto R. Heredia, & Anna B. Cieslicka ray.garza@tamiu.edu
What do we consider attractive? Physical characteristics (e.g., narrow waist, long legs, medium-large breasts) play an important role in determining attractiveness and selecting a potential mate (Dixon, Grimshaw, Linklater, and Dixon, 2010, 2011; Singh 1993, 1995; Platek & Singh, 2010).
Waist to hip ratio and breast size Singh (1993, 1995) WHR: Circumference of waist/hips Associated with attractiveness and reproductive capability First Pass Filter Breasts Predictors of attractiveness Age
Skin Tone Skin tone is an important sexually dimorphic trait in sexual selection (Van de Berghe & Frost, 1986; Frost, 1988, 2000, 2008). Neotony Fertility
Ethnic Differences In examining profile WHRs, Hazda hunter gatherers preferred high WHRs in contrast to American men. Similar preferences were found in viewing frontal images (Marlowe et al., 2005).
Eye Movement Research Suschinsky et al. (2007) Reproductive relevant areas Dural et al. (2008) Evolved cognitive mechanisms Dixon et al. (2010) Regions of interest Extensive eye tracking measurements
Experiment 1 In two experiments, eye tracking technology was used to examine visual attention and attraction Experiment 1: Used 3 WHRs (0.7, 0.8, 0.9), and 3 breast sizes (Small, Medium, Large) 54 Participants 38 women 16 men
Attraction
Visual Measurements (Exp 1).
Visual Measurements
Visual Measurements
Visual Measurements
Discussion Experiment 1 WHR predicted ratings of attractiveness Visual attention was focused on reproductive relevant areas Men’s visual attention was significantly more than women Visual regressions indicate the importance of the upper body in visual attention
Experiment 2 Experiment 1: Used 5 WHRs (0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9), 3 breast sizes (Small, Medium, Large), and Skin tone (Light, Dark). 98 participants 69 women 29 men
Attraction
Attraction Scale
Visual Measurements (Exp 2).
Visual Measurements
Visual Measurements
Visual Measurements
Visual Measurements
Discussion Experiment 2 Replicated results from experiment 1 Importance of using lower WHRs Skin tone differences
General Discussion Both experiments replicated previous research (Singh, 1993, 1995; Suschinsky et al., 2007, and Dixon et al., 2010). We add to the existing literature by including a underrepresented population, such as Hispanics.
General Discussion Attractiveness varies over a short period of time while one is viewing an image of a woman. This study shows the importance of additional measurements (e.g., first fixation duration, and regressions) to accurately and precisely measure attractiveness. Lastly, the results of the present study suggest gender differences in terms of attraction when viewing a female’s physical structure.
Selected References Dixson, B.J., Grimshaw, G. M., Linklater, W. L., & Dixson, A. F. (2011). Eye-tracking of men’s preferences for waist-to-hip ratio and breast size of women. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 40(1), 43-50. Dixson, B. J., Grimshaw, G. M., Linklater, W. L., & Dixson, A. F. (2010). Watching the hourglass. Human Nature, 21(4), 355-370. Hall, C., Hogue, T., & Guo, K. (2011). Differential gaze behavior towards sexually preferred and non-preferred human figures. Journal of Sex Research, 48(5), 461-469. Platek, S. M., & Singh, D. (2010). Optimal waist to hip ratios in women activate neural reward centers in the brain. PLoS ONE, 5, 1-5. Rayner, K. (1988). Eye movements in reading and information processing: 20 years of research. Psychological Bulletin, 124, 372. Singh, D. (1993). Adaptive significance of female physical attractiveness: Role of waist-to-hip ratio. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65(2), 293-293. Singh, D. (1994). Is thin really beautiful and good? Relationship between waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and female attractiveness. Personality and Individual Differences, 16(1), 123-132. Suschinsky, K. D., Elias, L. J., & Krupp, D. B. (2007) Looking for Ms. Right: Allocating attention to facilitate mate choice decisions. Evolutionary Psychology, 5, 428-441. Van den Berghe, P. L., & Frost, P. (1986). Sexual color preference, sexual dimorphism and sexual selection: A case of gene culture co-evolution? Ethnic and Racial Studies, 9, 87-113.