Perceptions of Female Physique Characteristics by American and Israeli Students

Summary Perceptions of the attractiveness of female body characteristics were investigated to determine preferences of both men and women. The design systematically manipulated four characteristics—head posture, shoulder posture, breast size, and body shape—and included several S characteristics—gender, attractiveness, and culture. Students from two universities in the United States and Israel were asked to rate 16 drawings of female physiques and to assess their attractiveness. Results yielded a number of interactions among body characteristics, most prominently between breast size and body shape and breast size and shoulder posture. The most preferred characteristic was an hourglass shape. Figures with large breasts were also highly preferred.