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Related Experiment Videos

Visual cues to female physical attractiveness.

M J Tovée1, D S Maisey, J L Emery

  • 1Department of Psychology, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. m.j.tovee@ncl.ac.uk

Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|March 31, 1999
PubMed
Summary

Female attractiveness is primarily determined by body mass index (BMI), not waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). Visual cues like perimeter-area ratio (PAR) can reliably indicate BMI for partner selection.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Psychology
  • Human Sexuality
  • Anthropometry

Background:

  • Evolutionary psychology posits female attractiveness signals health and fertility.
  • Research has emphasized the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) as a key attractiveness cue.
  • A low WHR is traditionally linked to higher fertility and perceived attractiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the primary determinant of female sexual attractiveness.
  • To re-evaluate the role of waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) versus body mass index (BMI).
  • To explore reliable visual cues for assessing BMI in potential partners.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of existing research on female attractiveness cues.
  • Statistical evaluation of the predictive power of BMI and WHR on attractiveness.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Examination of visual indices like perimeter-area ratio (PAR) for BMI estimation.

    • Main Results:

    • Body mass index (BMI) is a stronger predictor of female attractiveness than WHR.
    • Covariation between apparent BMI and WHR previously overestimated WHR's importance.
    • Perimeter-area ratio (PAR) serves as a reliable visual indicator of an individual's BMI.

    Conclusions:

    • BMI, reflecting health and reproductive potential, is the primary driver of female attractiveness.
    • The influence of WHR on attractiveness has been overstated due to methodological factors.
    • Visual cues such as PAR offer a practical method for assessing BMI and, by extension, attractiveness.