Abstract
This study examined the influence of personality information on perceptions of the physical attractiveness of a range of female body sizes. A sample of 2,157 male university students were randomly assigned to one of 10 groups in which they received personality information about women they were rating, or a control group in which they received no personality information. Controlling for participants' age and body mass index, results showed no significant between-group differences in the body size that participants found most attractive. However, participants provided with positive personality information perceived a wider range of body sizes as physically attractive compared with the control group, whereas participants provided with negative personality information perceived a narrower range of body sizes as attractive. Correlations showed that participants' own Extraversion was associated with their body size ratings. These results suggest that non-physical cues have an influence on the perception of physical beauty.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 628-647 |
| Number of pages | 20 |
| Journal | Journal of Social Psychology |
| Volume | 150 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Nov 2010 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- big five
- body size
- personality
- physical attractiveness