Masculine and feminine preferences of female waist-to-Hip ratio and body dimensions in young adults using eye-tracking

Abstract

This study aims to verify the female and male preferences regarding the size of female breasts and male shoulders, considering variables such as the environment, the existence or not of a romantic partner, and the participant’s gender. An eye-tracking device was applied to determine the time spent observing body parts. Based on the time spent watching, it was possible to decide which body parts and characteristics are preferred by both sexes. Subjects were exposed to six female images and six male images. Participants were asked to respond to a questionnaire to select the images based on their attractiveness to each image. The sample comprises 44 students from a Public Higher Education institution in the North of Portugal, aged between 18 and 26 years old. The influence of the variables tested on the participants’ fixation times is verified. The results made it possible to conclude that there are differences between the sexes within these variables. Women prefer medium masculine shoulders and men small feminine breast sizes, and participants from rural areas tend to choose areas of the body with medium proportions in both sexes. In contrast, those from urban areas tend to prefer areas with slightly larger proportions.