Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 14, 2025

Perceptual and Category Processing of the Uncanny Valley Hypothesis' Dimension of Human Likeness: Some Methodological Issues
Published on: June 3, 2013
Perceptual body image tasks require ethnically appropriate stimuli
Bethany J Ridley1, Yumi Hamamoto2, Piers L Cornelissen1
1Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
Current body ideals and perceived weight status are often assessed with tests that include images which depict BMI dependent morphological changes in body shape. These images are almost exclusively based on White European (WE) bodies. However, East Asian (EA) and South Asian (SA) people have a different body composition and pattern of adipose deposition for a given BMI. As such, matching someone's body from an EA or SA background to a WE body may lead to errors in estimation, as there are no equivalent bodies to match against. Therefore, we 3D scanned EA, SA and WE female volunteers and constructed computer-generated imagery (CGI) bodies based on a statistical analysis of the size and shape variation specific to each ethnic identity. We then asked participants to make judgements between pairs of bodies of the same or different ethnic identity as themselves. When presented with ethnically different stimuli, EA and SA participants significantly over-estimate body size and WE participants significantly under-estimate. Additionally, ethnically mismatched stimuli lead to significantly greater uncertainty about body size judgements. For the first time, we show that ethnically appropriate stimuli need to be used to assess body judgements and should be developed as a matter of urgency.
Related Concept Videos
Factors Affecting Perception
An illustrative example of a perceptual set is the scenario where an airline pilot told...
Stereotype Content Model
Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination
Surveys
Ethnic Identity within a Larger Culture
Perceptual Constancy
Size constancy is the recognition that an object remains the same size, even when its image on the retina changes. For instance, a bus is perceived to be large enough to carry people, even if it looks tiny from...

