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Seeing overweight adults as babies: Physical cues and implications for stigmatization
Anton J M Dijker1, Rutger DeLuster1, Nicolas Peeters1
1Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, CAPHRI, Maastricht University, The Netherlands.
British Journal of Psychology (London, England : 1953)
|February 24, 2017
Summary
Overweight men are perceived as cute and baby-like due to physical similarities. However, this perception is linked to negative traits like immaturity, suggesting an evolutionary mismatch in social responses to fatness.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary psychology
- Human behavior
- Social perception
Background:
- Human infants are notably fat, eliciting caregiving responses.
- Physical resemblance to infants may influence adult perceptions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that overweight males are perceived as baby-like and cute.
- To explore the association between perceived fatness, babyishness, and other traits in adult males.
Main Methods:
- Measurement of physical features in adult males across a range of weights.
- Correlation analysis between physical features, perceived fatness, babyishness, and trait evaluations.
Main Results:
- Physical features associated with fatness (e.g., body shape, head size, neck) correlated with perceived babyishness.
- Perceived fatness and babyishness positively influenced cuteness perception.
- Perceived fatness and babyishness negatively impacted perceived willpower and beauty.
Conclusions:
- Physical resemblance to infants may explain positive social responses to overweight individuals.
- Modern environments may lead to misfiring of evolved responses to fatness.
- An evolutionary perspective on fatness highlights its adaptive value and current social implications.