The quest for understanding the concept of beauty and whether it is universal can be linked to evolutionary theory. As the factors that influence physical attraction are partly evolutionary, humans may be unaware of the reasons behind their preferences. Preferences for certain physical features can be explained by sexual selection as there is a correlation between physical attractiveness and features that indicate potential for successful reproduction. Psychologically, preferences enforce beneficial behavior in connection with for example, choosing a mate. When choosing a mate potential partners are evaluated based on features that indicate successful reproduction. Features like age and health are very important factors in physical attractiveness as a major feature of women’s mate value is fertility. This explains why men tend to value physical traits more than women (Bovet, 2018).
Physically attractive individuals are judged as more socially and intellectually competent, more successful, and happier than less attractive individuals (Dion et al. 1972; Eagly et al. 1991).
Research indicates that men generally prefer younger partners and this preference for youth is very consistent between different populations. Female fertility largely depends on age and since younger women are generally more fertile, features associated with aging are perceived negatively in relation to sexual attractiveness thus explaining the attraction to younger women. As health is also an important indicator of mate value, healthy individuals are perceived as more attractive. Human skin reveals a lot about the health and age of an individual through scars, blemishes, wrinkles and the skin’s color. According to the ancient Greeks beauty was connected to mathematical rules of proportions, an explanation for this is that symmetry is also considered attractive as it can reflect genetic health (2018).
Sexual hormones play a role in where body fat is stored on the body - estrogen directs fat to for example the hips whereas testosterone directs it to for example the abdomen. The ratio between waist and hips shows how body fat is distributed and studies show that men generally prefer women with a lower waist-to-hip ratio. Body weight heavily influences whether the female body is considered attractive or not - If a woman is too thin her fertility will decrease and the same goes for overweight. Another feature of female beauty is breasts. Here symmetry also plays a part as more symmetrical breasts are considered more attractive. However the correlation between breast size and attractiveness is unclear as studies on the topic are conflicting. The question of the universality of beauty and whether physical preferences depend on biological or cultural factors has been widely explored. When talking about the attractiveness of the female body results differ based on geographical location and culture:
In countries such as the USA, UK, Canada, Finland, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Malaysia, Hong-Kong and Thailand, thinner women are preferred by men. However, in countries such as Uganda, South Africa, Ecuador, Samoa and Bolivia, women with a higher body weight are preferred by men. Whereas preferences for body weight vary, the preferences for waist-to-hip ratio vary significantly less with a preference for a higher waist-to-hip ratio mostly observed in more rural or traditional areas (2018).
According to evolutionary theory men should have a preference for features that relate to optimal mate value, but studies on the subject indicate that which features are considered attractive and why is influenced by geographical location and culture as well. The differences in preferences can be linked to changes in the environment such as the reliability of resources and food as well as health. In addition to the natural features of the body there are ways to enhance the physical attractiveness of an individual throughout different cultures. Some examples of such adornment of the body could be through using jewelry, makeup, tattoos and so on. The perceived attractiveness of such ornamentations also vary based on factors such as culture, so there is no definitive answer as to what makes the human body beautiful.
“It is certainly not true that there is in the mind of man any universal standard of beauty with respect to the human body” (Darwin 1871).
Bibliography:
Bovet, J. (2018). The Evolution of Feminine Beauty. In: Kapoula, Z., Volle, E., Renoult, J., Andreatta, M. (eds) Exploring Transdisciplinarity in Art and Sciences. Springer, Cham. Retrieved November 8, 2023, from: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76054-4_17
Darwin, C. (1871). The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. London: John Murray.
Dion, K. K., Walster, E., & Berschei, E. (1972). What is beautiful is good. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 24, 285.
Eagly, A. H., Makhijani, M. G., Ashmore, R. D., & Longo, L. C. (1991). What Is beautiful is good, but—A meta-analytic review of research on the physical attractiveness Stereotype. Psychological Bulletin, 110, 109–128.