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Bodily Attractiveness As a Window to Women's Fertility and Reproductive

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Bodily Attractiveness As a Window to Women's Fertility and Reproductive Bodily Attractiveness as a Window to Women’s Fertility and Reproductive 7 Value Jaime M. Cloud and Carin Perilloux Dedicated to the memory of Devendra Singh (1938–2010) Intellectual debate regarding the universality of resources to support the metabolic costs of repro- standards of beauty has waned in recent years. An duction (Marlowe & Wetsman, 2001; Sugiyama, unprecedented number of researchers now 2004; Wetsman & Marlowe, 1999). Nearly every embrace the evolutionary perspective that morphological trait imaginable—from head (e.g., components of physical attractiveness reflect hair color; Swami, Furnham, & Joshi, 2008) to toe individuals’ health and reproductive condition, (e.g., foot size; Fessler, Haley, & Lal, 2005)—has rather than arbitrary cultural norms (e.g., Singh & received some empirical attention. In order to Singh, 2011; Sugiyama, 2005) (cf. Wolf, 1991). make the process of drawing inferences from this An increasing amount of attention has instead been data more tractable, a line is often drawn at the placed on the relative strength with which morpho- neck, separating facial and bodily components of logical traits predict perceptions of overall attrac- attractiveness (e.g., Confer, Perilloux, & Buss, tiveness. For instance, variations in body mass 2010). The primary focus of the current chapter is index (BMI) are frequently compared to those in the argument that bodily components of attractive- waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) to determine whether ness convey certain information about a woman’s BMI or WHR is the more salient index of a reproductive profile that cannot be gleaned as eas- woman’s bodily attractiveness (Singh, 1993; ily from facial components of attractiveness. Tove´e, Maisey, Emery, & Cornelissen, 1999). We begin this chapter by integrating evidence Studies consistently find that both measures affect that various bodily traits predict a woman’s health, perceptions of attractiveness (e.g., Furnham, hormonal profile, and reproductive status with Petrides, & Constantinides, 2005; Furnham, empirical findings that demonstrate systematic Swami, & Shah, 2006); however, the specific preferences for optimal levels within those traits. values associated with maximum levels of attrac- We then consider the plasticity of attractiveness tiveness appear to depend on the availability of judgments across cultures and time periods. In this local resources. For example, in subsistence- part, we present new evidence challenging the based societies, greater priority is given to body popular belief that Baroque ideals of attractiveness weight (BMI) than body shape (WHR), as the (e.g., high BMI) are vastly different from modern former indicates the availability of sufficient ideals. We conclude with evidence showing that J.M. Cloud (*) Department of Psychology, Western Oregon University, Monmouth, OR 97361, USA e-mail: [email protected] V.A. Weekes-Shackelford and T.K. Shackelford (eds.), Evolutionary Perspectives on Human Sexual 135 Psychology and Behavior, Evolutionary Psychology, DOI 10.1007/978-1-4939-0314-6_7, # Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014 136 J.M. Cloud and C. Perilloux men preferentially attend to women’s bodies in bodily traits simultaneously convey information short-term mating contexts (e.g., one-night pertaining to both. In this first part, we review stand). These results are discussed in light of the various bodily features, detailing their health and hypothesis that fertility cues may be better gleaned reproductive correlates, as well as empirical evi- from a woman’s body than her face. dence showing systematic preferences for specific variations in each trait. Components of Bodily Attractiveness Leg Length Aspects of physical attractiveness are experi- enced as “attractive” because they have been One of the more recent empirical developments reliably associated with individuals’ health, hor- over the past decade has been the identification monal profile, and reproductive status throughout of leg length as a determinant of attractiveness. human evolutionary history (Symons, 1979; This trait is frequently operationalized as a leg- Williams, 1975). These traits are said to be hon- to-body ratio (LBR), representing the proportion est, meaning the integrity of their signaling value of an individual’s height (usually including the is maintained by the inability of individuals with head) that is accounted for by the legs (Swami, decreased fitness to imitate such cues (Zahavi, Einon, & Furnham, 2006; Swami, Gray, & 1975). Bilateral symmetry, for example, reflects Furnham, 2006). Before its application in evolu- an individual’s ability to withstand environmen- tionary psychology, LBR was primarily used as a tal (e.g., parasitic) and genetic perturbations dur- measure of childhood nutritional status, with ing development (Thornhill & Gangestad, 1994). lower LBRs representing periods of interrupted Individuals with lower-quality immune systems growth (Davey Smith et al., 2001). LBR has also are more susceptible to developmental insults been associated with various indices of health, and are therefore less likely to maintain symmet- including lower BMI, blood pressure, and cho- rical features. Consequently, individuals with lesterol, as well as a reduced risk of coronary symmetrical faces and bodies are preferentially heart disease, diabetes, and cancer (Davey sought as mates (Gangestad & Thornhill, 1997; Smith et al., 2001; Gunnell, May, Ben-Shlomo, Thornhill & Gangestad, 1994). Yarnell, & Davey Smith, 2003; Gunnell, Although attended to by individuals of both Whitley, et al., 2003). Importantly, childhood sexes, men place relatively greater priority than environmental conditions have been shown to women on a potential mate’s physical attractive- influence leg length more strongly than any ness (Buss, 1989; Li, Bailey, Kenrick, & other component of stature (e.g., trunk length; Linsenmeier, 2002). This is because men’s repro- Gunnell, May, et al., 2003), rendering LBR an ductive success, more so than women’s, was pri- especially powerful marker of resource availabil- marily limited by access to healthy, fertile mates ity and health during development. over human evolutionary history (Sugiyama, 2005; In addition to functioning as an honest signal of Symons, 1979). Consequently, men’s mating psy- health, Swami, Einon, et al. (2006) propose that chology is designed to attend to cues of a woman’s women have a slightly higher LBR than men, and reproductive value (a measure of future reproduc- thus, LBR is used to differentiate masculine from tive potential that is strongly correlated with a feminine body types. To test this possibility, woman’s age) and fertility (i.e., fecundability, a Swami et al. presented men and women with line measure of a woman’s current ability to become drawings of male and female figures that varied in pregnant) and find women who possess high levels LBR. They hypothesized that if high LBRs are of both especially attractive. Although these two attractive because they indicate genetic quality, dimensions are partially dissociable (e.g., a young high LBRs should be considered more attractive pregnant woman is likely to have high reproduc- than low LBRs regardless of sex. If, on the other tive value despite a current fertility of zero), many hand, high LBRs signal femininity, high LBRs 7 Bodily Attractiveness as a Window to Women’s Fertility and Reproductive Value 137 should be considered more attractive only within selected toward smaller foot size, counteracting female figures. The results supported the latter evolutionary pressures (e.g., an increase in per- relationship between LBR and femininity: as ceived attractiveness) must have outweighed LBR increased, attractiveness ratings increased costs associated with small feet. In women, foot for female figures, but decreased for male figures. size gradually increases with age and parity (for This pattern of results also replicated in a cross- relevant citations, see Fessler et al., 2005); thus, cultural sample of British and Malaysian small feet may be considered attractive because participants (Swami, Einon, & Furnham, 2007). they indicate high reproductive value. Indeed, Other studies eschew the explanation provided by women with relatively large feet are judged to Swami, Gray, et al. (2006), given research that be older (Fessler et al., 2012) and less attractive shows no sexual dimorphism in LBR (for relevant (Fessler et al., 2005, 2012; Voracek et al., 2007) citations, see Sorokowski & Pawlowski, 2008). than those with relatively small feet. As would be These studies instead find a curvilinear, rather expected in light of biomechanical efficiencies, than linear, preference for LBR, with attractiveness women prefer men with average-to-large-sized assessments peaking at average (approximately feet (Fessler et al., 2012; Voracek et al., 2007), 0.50) to slightly above-average (elongated by although, consistent with unidirectional sexual 5–10 %) LBRs for both male and female stimuli selection for foot size, women are less interested (Frederick, Hadji-Michael, Furnham, & Swami, in men’s feet than men are in women’s feet 2010; Sorokowski, Sorokowska, & Mberira, (Fessler et al., 2012; Voracek et al., 2007). Foot 2012; Sorokowski & Pawlowski, 2008). Most size may therefore indicate a woman’s reproduc- notably, Sorokowski et al. (2011) surveyed the tive value and has been recognized (albeit not for LBR preferences of men and women from 27 the ultimate reasons indicated here) as an impor- nations and found average LBRs to be maximally tant component of female
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