Waist to hip ratio and facial attractiveness: a pilot study

• Published in: Personality and individual differences Vol. 30; no. 3; pp. 491 - 502
• Main Authors: Furnham, Adrian, Lavancy, Meritxell, McClelland, Alastair
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2001; Elsevier
• Subjects: Attractiveness; Behavior. Attitude; Biological and medical sciences; Body shape; Faces; Facial attractiveness; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Social psychology; Socio-biology; Sociobiology; Waist to hip ratio; Women; United Kingdom; Europe; Facial attractiveness; Waist to hip ratio; Attractiveness; Socio-biology; Human; Social environment; Social preference; Attitude; Male; Mate selection; Sexual attraction; Fertility; Cultural environment; Young adult; Adult; Face; Judgment
• ISSN: 0191-8869; 1873-3549
• DOI: 10.1016/S0191-8869(00)00040-4

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of facial attractiveness and waist to hip ratio (WHR) on five judgements of attractiveness (attractiveness, sexiness, healthiness, fertility and pregnancy). It was hypothesised that facial attractiveness would be more important than WHR for all measures except for pregnancy. Four levels of WHR were matched with two levels of facial attractiveness to produce eight individual stimuli based on the same figure. These were rated on a seven point bi-polar scale for each measure by 100 male subjects. A correlation matrix revealed that attractiveness was most highly correlated with sexiness; healthiness was most highly correlated with fertility, and pregnancy was independent of all other measures. Results revealed that both facial attractiveness and WHR were highly significant in influencing the five judgement measures. Facial attractiveness seems more important than WHR for all measures except pregnancy. Following overall linear trend analysis for all measures it was suggested that WHR is the best predictor of perceived pregnancy. The results are discussed in the context of evolutionary theory. Limitations of the study, particularly reliance on limited stimuli, are acknowledged.