Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Bodily Attractiveness as a Window to Women’s Fertility and Reproductive Value

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Evolutionary Perspectives on Human Sexual Psychology and Behavior

Part of the book series: Evolutionary Psychology ((EVOLPSYCH))

Abstract

In this chapter, we examine, from an ultimate perspective, how and why various bodily traits—leg length, foot size, breast size, body shape (waist-to-hip ratio), and body size (body mass index)—affect judgments of female attractiveness. Bodily trait values associated with optimal health and reproductive profiles are generally considered attractive across cultures and time periods, yet some traits may showcase certain classes of information better than others. Namely, bodily traits appear to better convey a woman’s immediate fertility, while facial traits may better convey her reproductive value. Consistent with this premise, we review research demonstrating a perceptual tendency for men to preferentially attend to women’s bodies in short-term mating contexts but not long-term mating contexts. Finally, we suggest future directions that promise to spur research on the asymmetrical abilities of facial and bodily traits to reveal key information pertaining to women’s reproductive condition.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    Women’s box choice was also evaluated. Significantly more women chose to remove the face box than the body box, and this did not differ based on mating context.

References

  • Anderson, P. (1983). The reproductive role of the human breast. Current Anthropology, 24, 25–45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barber, N. (1995). The evolutionary psychology of physical attractiveness: Sexual selection and human morphology. Ethology and Sociobiology, 16, 395–424.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bleske-Rechek, A., Harris, H. D., Denkinge, K., Webb, R. M., Erickson, L., & Nelson, L. A. (2011). Physical cues of ovulatory status: A failure to replicate enhanced facial attractiveness and reduced waist-to-hip ratio at high fertility. Evolutionary Psychology, 9, 336–353.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Buss, D. M. (1989). Sex differences in human mate preferences: Evolutionary hypotheses tested in 37 cultures. Behavioral & Brain Sciences, 12, 1–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buss, D. M., & Schmitt, D. P. (1993). Sexual strategies theory: A contextual evolutionary analysis of human mating. Psychological Review, 100, 204–232.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cant, J. (1981). Hypotheses for the evolution of human breasts and buttocks. American Naturalist, 117, 199–204.

    Google Scholar 

  • Confer, J. C., & Singh, D. (2009). Did Europeans in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries really idealize fat (Rubenesque) women? Examining the widely held belief. Poster presented at the 10th annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Tampa, FL.

    Google Scholar 

  • Confer, J. C., Perilloux, C., & Buss, D. M. (2010). More than just a pretty face: Men’s priority shifts toward bodily attractiveness in short-term versus long-term mating contexts. Evolution and Human Behavior, 31, 348–353.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cunningham, M. (1986). Measuring the physical in physical attractiveness: Quasi-experiments on the sociobiology of female facial beauty. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 50, 925–935.

    Google Scholar 

  • Currie, T. E., & Little, A. C. (2009). The relative importance of the face and body in judgments of human physical attractiveness. Evolution and Human Behavior, 30, 409–416.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davey Smith, G., Greenwood, R., Gunnell, D., Sweetnam, P., Yarnell, J., & Elwood, P. (2001). Leg length, insulin resistance, and coronary heart disease risk: The Caerphilly Study. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 55, 867–872.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dixson, B. J., Grimshaw, G. M., Linklater, W. L., & Dixson, A. F. (2011). Eye tracking of men’s preferences for female breast size and areola pigmentation. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 40, 51–58.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ellison, P. (1990). Human ovarian function and reproductive ecology: New hypotheses. American Anthropologist, 92, 933–952.

    Google Scholar 

  • Faries, M. D., & Bartholomew, J. B. (2012). The role of body fat in female attractiveness. Evolution and Human Behavior, 33, 672–681.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fessler, D. M. T., Haley, K. J., & Lal, R. D. (2005). Sexual dimorphism in foot length proportionate to stature. Annals of Human Biology, 32, 44–59.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fessler, D. M. T., Stieger, S., Asaridou, S. S., Bahia, U., Cravalho, M., de Barros, P., et al. (2012). Testing a postulated case of intersexual selection in humans: The role of foot size in judgments of physical attractiveness and age. Evolution and Human Behavior, 33, 147–164.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fink, B., Grammar, K., & Thornhill, R. (2001). Human (Homo sapiens) facial attractiveness in relation to skin texture and color. Journal of Comparative Psychology, 115, 92–99.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Frederick, D. A., Hadji-Michael, M., Furnham, A., & Swami, V. (2010). The influence of leg-to-body ratio (LBR) on judgments of female physical attractiveness: Assessments of computer-generated images varying in LBR. Body Image, 7, 51–55.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Freese, J., & Meland, S. (2002). Seven tenths incorrect: Heterogeneity and change in the waist-to-hip ratio of Playboy centerfold models and Miss America pageant winners. The Journal of Sex Research, 39, 133–138.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frisch, R. E. (1987). Body fat, menarche, fitness and fertility. Human Reproduction, 2, 521–533.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Furnham, A., Dias, M., & McClelland, A. (1998). The role of body weight, waist-to-hip ratio, and breast size in judgments of female attractiveness. Sex Roles, 39, 311–326.

    Google Scholar 

  • Furnham, A., McClelland, A., & Omer, L. (2003). A cross-cultural comparison of ratings of perceived fecundity and sexual attractiveness as a function of body weight and waist-to-hip ratio. Psychology, Health, and Medicine, 8, 219–230.

    Google Scholar 

  • Furnham, A., Moutafi, J., & Baguma, P. (2002). A cross-cultural study on the role of weight and waist-to-hip ratio on female attractiveness. Personality and Individual Differences, 32, 729–745.

    Google Scholar 

  • Furnham, A., Petrides, K. V., & Constantinides, A. (2005). The effects of body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio of ratings of female attractiveness, fecundity, and health. Personality and Individual Differences, 38, 1823–1834.

    Google Scholar 

  • Furnham, A., & Reeves, E. (2006). The relative influence of facial neoteny and waist-to-hip ratio on judgments of female attractiveness and fecundity. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 11, 129–141.

    Google Scholar 

  • Furnham, A., & Swami, V. (2007). Perception of female buttocks and breast size in profile. Social Behavior and Personality, 35, 1–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Furnham, A., Swami, V., & Shah, K. (2006). Body weight, waist-to-hip ratio and breast size correlates of ratings of attractiveness and health. Personality and Individual Differences, 41, 443–454.

    Google Scholar 

  • Furnham, A., Tan, T., & McManus, C. (1997). Waist-to-hip ratio and preferences for body shape: A replication and extension. Personality and Individual Differences, 22, 539–549.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gallop, G. G. (1982). Permanent breast enlargement in human females: A sociobiological analysis. Journal of Human Evolution, 11, 597–601.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gangestad, S. W., & Thornhill, R. (1997). The evolutionary psychology of extra-pair sex: The role of fluctuating asymmetry. Evolution and Human Behavior, 18, 69–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garner, D. M., Garfinkel, P. E., Schwartz, D., & Thompson, M. (1980). Cultural expectations of thinness in women. Psychological Reports, 47, 183–191.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gitter, G., Lomranz, J., Saxe, L., & Bar-Tal, Y. (1983). Perceptions of female physique characteristics by American and Israeli students. The Journal of Social Psychology, 121, 7–13.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Guéguen, N. (2007). Bust size and hitchhiking: A field study. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 105, 1294–1298.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gunnell, D., May, M., Ben-Shlomo, Y., Yarnell, J., & Davey Smith, G. (2003). Height, leg length, and cancer: The Caerphilly Study. Nutrition and Cancer, 47, 34–39.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gunnell, D., Whitley, E., Upton, M. N., McConnachie, A., Davey Smith, G., & Watt, G. C. M. (2003). Associations of height, leg length and lung function with cardiovascular risk factors in the Midspan Family Study. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 57, 141–146.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Henss, R. (1995). Waist-to-hip ratio and attractiveness: Replication and extension. Personality and Individual Differences, 19, 479–488.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henss, R. (2000). Waist-to-hip ratio and female attractiveness. Evidence from photographic stimuli and methodological considerations. Personality and Individual Differences, 28, 501–513.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jakubowicz, D. J., Iuorno, M. J., Jakubowicz, S., Roberts, K. A., & Nestler, J. E. (2002). Effects of Metformin on early pregnancy loss in the polycystic ovary syndrome. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 87, 524–529.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jasieńska, G., Ziomkiewicz, A., Ellison, P. T., Lipson, S. F., & Thune, I. (2004). Large breasts and narrow waists indicate high reproductive potential in women. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B, 271, 1213–1217.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnstone, R. A. (1996). Multiple displays in animal communication: ‘Backup signals’ and ‘multiple messages’. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B, 351, 329–338.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jonason, P. K., Raulston, T., & Rotolo, A. (2012). More than just a pretty face and a hot body: Multiple cues in mate choice. The Journal of Social Psychology, 152, 174–184.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Karremans, J. C., Frankenhuis, W. E., & Arons, S. (2010). Blind men prefer low waist-to-hip ratio. Evolution and Human Behavior, 31, 182–186.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirchengast, S., & Gartner, M. (2002). Changes in fat distribution (WHR) and body weight across the menstrual cycle. Collegium Antropologicum, 26, 47–57.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Langlois, J. H., & Roggman, L. A. (1990). Attractive faces are only average. Psychological Science, 1, 115–121.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lassek, W. D., & Gaulin, S. J. C. (2008). Waist-hip ratio and cognitive ability: Is gluteofemoral fat a privileged store of neurodevelopmental resources? Evolution and Human Behavior, 29, 26–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, N. P., Bailey, J. M., Kenrick, D. T., & Linsenmeier, J. A. W. (2002). The necessities and luxuries of mate preferences: Testing the tradeoffs. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, 947–955.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lipson, S. F., & Ellison, P. T. (1996). Comparison of salivary steroid profiles in naturally occurring conception and non-conception cycles. Human Reproduction, 11, 2090–2096.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lu, H. J., & Chang, L. (2012). Automatic attention towards the face or body as a function of mating motivation. Evolutionary Psychology, 10, 120–135.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Manning, J. T., Scutt, D., Whitehouse, G. H., & Leinster, S. J. (1997). Breast asymmetry and phenotypic quality in women. Evolution and Human Behavior, 18, 223–236.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marlowe, F. (1998). The nubility hypothesis: The human breast as an honest signal of residual reproductive value. Human Nature, 9, 263–271.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marlowe, F., Apicella, C., & Reed, D. (2005). Men’s preferences for women’s profile waist-to-hip ratio in two societies. Evolution and Human Behavior, 26, 458–468.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marlowe, F., & Wetsman, A. (2001). Preferred waist-to-hip ratio and ecology. Personality and Individual Differences, 30, 481–489.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marti, B., Tuomilehto, J., Soloman, V., Kartovaara, L., Korhonen, H. J., & Pietinen, P. (1991). Body fat distribution in the Finnish population: Environmental determinants and predictive power for cardiovascular risk factor levels. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 45, 131–137.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mazur, A. (1986). U.S. trends in feminine beauty and overadaptation. Journal of Sex Research, 22, 281–303.

    Google Scholar 

  • Møller, A. P., Soler, M., & Thornhill, R. (1995). Breast asymmetry, sexual selection, and human reproductive success. Ethology and Sociobiology, 16, 207–219.

    Google Scholar 

  • Must, A., Spadano, J., Coakley, E. H., Field, A. E., Colditz, G., & Dietz, W. H. (1999). The disease burden associated with overweight and obesity. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 282, 1523–1529.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pedersen, F. A. (1991). Secular trends in human sex ratios: Their influence on individual and family behavior. Human Nature, 2, 271–291.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Penke, L., & Asendorpf, J. B. (2008). Beyond global sociosexual orientations: A more differentiated look at sociosexuality and its effects on courtship and romantic relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95, 1113–1135.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Perilloux, C., Cloud, J. M., & Buss, D. M. (2013). Women’s physical attractiveness and short-term mating strategies. Personality and Individual Differences, 54, 490–495.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perrett, D. I., Burt, M., Penton-Voak, I. S., Lee, K. J., Rowland, D. A., & Edwards, R. (1999). Symmetry and human facial attractiveness. Evolution and Human Behavior, 20, 295–307.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peters, M., Rhodes, G., & Simmons, L. W. (2007). Contributions of the face and body to overall attractiveness. Animal Behavior, 73, 937–942.

    Google Scholar 

  • Riggio, R. E., Widaman, K. F., Tucker, J. S., & Salinas, C. (1991). Beauty is more than skin deep: Components of attractiveness. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 12, 423–439.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saad, G. (2008). Advertised waist-to-hip ratios of online female escorts: An evolutionary perspective. International Journal of e-Collaboration, 4, 40–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmalt, H. D. (2006). Waist-to-hip ratio and female physical attractiveness: The moderating role of power motivation and the mating context. Personality and Individual Differences, 41, 455–465.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmitt, D. P. (2005). Sociosexuality from Argentina to Zimbabwe: A 48-nation study of sex, culture, and strategies of human mating. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 28, 247–311.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Scutt, D., & Manning, J. T. (1996). Symmetry and ovulation in women. Human Reproduction, 11, 2477–2480.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Singh, D. (1993). Adaptive significance of female physical attractiveness: Role of waist-to-hip ratio. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65, 293–307.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Singh, D. (1994a). Ideal female body shape: Role of body weight and waist-to-hip ratio. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 16, 283–288.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Singh, D. (1994b). Is thin really beautiful and good? Relationship between waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and female attractiveness. Personality and Individual Differences, 16, 123–132.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh, D. (2002). Female mate value at a glance: Relationship of waist-to-hip ratio to health, fecundity, and attractiveness. Neuroendocrinology Letters, 23, 81–91.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Singh, D. (2004). Mating strategies of young women: Role of physical attractiveness. The Journal of Sex Research, 41, 43–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh, D. (2006). Universal allure of the hourglass figure: An evolutionary theory of female physical attractiveness. Clinics in Plastic Surgery, 33, 359–370.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Singh, D., Dixson, B. J., Jessop, T. S., Morgan, B., & Dixson, A. F. (2010). Cross-cultural consensus for waist-hip ratio and women’s attractiveness. Evolution and Human Behavior, 31, 176–181.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh, D., & Luis, S. (1995). Ethnic and gender consensus for the effect of waist-to-hip ratio on judgment of women’s attractiveness. Human Nature, 6, 51–65.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Singh, D., & Randall, P. (2007). Beauty is in the eye of the plastic surgeon: Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and women’s attractiveness. Personality and Individual Differences, 43, 329–340.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh, D., Renn, P., & Singh, A. (2007). Did the perils of abdominal obesity affect depiction of feminine beauty in the sixteenth to eighteenth century British literature? Exploring the health and beauty link. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 274, 891–894.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Singh, D., & Singh, D. (2011). Shape and significance of feminine beauty: An evolutionary perspective. Sex Roles, 64, 723–731.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh, D., & Young, R. K. (1995). Body weight, waist-to-hip ratio, breasts, and hips: Role in judgments of female attractiveness and desirability for relationships. Ethology and Sociobiology, 16, 483–507.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sorokowski, P., & Pawlowski, B. (2008). Adaptive preferences for leg length in a potential partner. Evolution and Human Behavior, 29, 86–91.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sorokowski, P., Sorokowska, A., & Mberira, M. (2012). Are preferences for legs length universal? Data from a semi-nomadic Himba population from Namibia. The Journal of Social Psychology, 152, 370–378.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sorokowski, P., Szmajke, A., Sorokowska, A., Cunen, M. B., Fabrykant, M., Zarafshani, K., et al. (2011). Attractiveness of leg length: Report from 27 nations. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 42, 131–139.

    Google Scholar 

  • Strassmann, B. I. (1997). The biology of menstruation in Homo sapiens: Total lifetime menses, fecundity, and nonsynchrony in a natural-fertility population. Current Anthropology, 38, 123–129.

    Google Scholar 

  • Streeter, S. A., & McBurney, D. H. (2003). Waist-to-hip ratio and attractiveness: New evidence and a critique of “a critical test”. Evolution and Human Behavior, 24, 88–98.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sugiyama, L. S. (2004). Is beauty in the context-sensitive adaptations of the beholder? Shiwiar use of waist-to-hip ratio in assessments of female mate value. Evolution and Human Behavior, 25, 51–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sugiyama, L. S. (2005). Physical attractiveness in adaptationist perspective. In D. M. Buss (Ed.), The handbook of evolutionary psychology (pp. 292–343). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swami, V., Einon, D., & Furnham, A. (2006). The leg-to-body ratio as a human aesthetic criterion. Body Image, 3, 317–323.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Swami, V., Einon, D., & Furnham, A. (2007). Cultural significance of leg-to-body ratio preferences? Evidence from Britain and rural Malaysia. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 10, 265–269.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swami, V., Furnham, A., & Joshi, K. (2008). The influence of skin tone, hair length, and hair colour on ratings of women’s physical attractiveness, health, and fertility. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 49, 429–437.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Swami, V., Gray, M., & Furnham, A. (2006). The female nude in Rubens: Disconfirmatory evidence of the waist-to-hip ratio hypothesis of female physical attractiveness. Imagination, Cognition, and Personality, 26, 139–147.

    Google Scholar 

  • Symons, D. (1979). The evolution of human sexuality. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tassinary, L. G., & Hansen, K. A. (1998). A critical test of the waist-to-hip ratio hypothesis of female physical attractiveness. Psychological Science, 9, 150–155.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, J. K., & Tantleff, S. (1992). Female and male ratings of upper torso: Actual, ideal, and stereotypical conceptions. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 7, 345–354.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thornhill, R., & Gangestad, S. W. (1994). Human fluctuating asymmetry and sexual behavior. Psychological Science, 5, 297–302.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thornhill, R., & Grammer, K. (1999). The body and face of woman: One ornament that signals quality? Evolution and Human Behavior, 20, 105–120.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tooby, J., & Cosmides, L. (1992). The psychological foundations of culture. In J. Barkow, L. Cosmides, & J. Tooby (Eds.), The adapted mind: Evolutionary psychology and the generation of culture. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tovée, M. J., & Cornelissen, P. L. (1999). The mystery of female beauty. Nature, 399, 215–216.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tovée, M. J., & Cornelissen, P. L. (2001). Female and male perceptions of female physical attractiveness in front-view and profile. British Journal of Psychology, 92, 391–402.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tovée, M. J., Hancock, P. J. B., Mahmoodi, S., Singleton, B. R. R., & Cornelissen, P. L. (2002). Human female attractiveness: Waveform analysis of body shape. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B, 269, 2205–2213.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tovée, M. J., Maisey, D. S., Emery, J. L., & Cornelissen, P. L. (1999). Visual cues to female sexual attractiveness. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B, 266, 211–218.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tovée, M. J., Reinhardt, S., Emery, J. L., & Cornelissen, P. L. (1998). Optimum body-mass index and maximum sexual attractiveness. The Lancet, 352, 548.

    Google Scholar 

  • Venners, S. A., Liu, X., Perry, M. J., Korrick, S. A., Li, Z., Yang, F., et al. (2006). Urinary estrogen and progesterone metabolite concentrations in menstrual cycles of fertile women with non-conception, early pregnancy loss or clinical pregnancy. Human Reproduction, 21, 2272–2280.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Voracek, M., & Fisher, M. L. (2002). Shapely centerfolds? Temporal change in body measures: Trend analysis. British Medical Journal, 325, 1447–1448.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Voracek, M., Fisher, M. L., Rupp, B., Lucas, D., & Fessler, D. M. T. (2007). Sex differences in relative foot length and perceived attractiveness of female feet: Relationships among anthropometry, physique, and preference ratings. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 104, 1123–1138.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wetsman, A., & Marlowe, F. (1999). How universal are preferences for female waist-to-hip ratios? Evidence from the Hadza of Tanzania. Evolution and Human Behavior, 20, 219–228.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, G. C. (1975). Sex and evolution. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, J. M. B., Tripp, D. A., & Boland, F. J. (2005). The relative contributions of waist-to-hip ratio and body mass index to judgments of attractiveness. Sexualities, Evolution, and Gender, 7, 245–267.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolf, N. (1991). The beauty myth: How images of female beauty are used against women. New York: William Morrow.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yu, D. W., & Shepard, G. H. (1998). Is beauty in the eye of the beholder? Nature, 396, 321–322.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zahavi, A. (1975). Mate selection: A selection for a handicap. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 53, 205–214.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zelazniewicz, A. M., & Pawlowski, B. (2011). Female breast size attractiveness for men as a function of sociosexual orientation (restricted vs. unrestricted). Archives of Sexual Behavior, 40, 1129–1135.

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Western Oregon University, Monmouth, OR, 97361, USA

    Jaime M. Cloud

  2. Department of Psychology, Union College, Schenectady, NY, USA

    Carin Perilloux

Authors
  1. Jaime M. Cloud
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Carin Perilloux
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jaime M. Cloud .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Viviana A. Weekes-Shackelford

  2. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Todd K. Shackelford

Additional information

Dedicated to the memory of Devendra Singh (1938–2010)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Cloud, J.M., Perilloux, C. (2014). Bodily Attractiveness as a Window to Women’s Fertility and Reproductive Value. In: Weekes-Shackelford, V., Shackelford, T. (eds) Evolutionary Perspectives on Human Sexual Psychology and Behavior. Evolutionary Psychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0314-6_7

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation