The impact of body type on perceptions of attractiveness by older individuals

This study investigated the impact of target body type on interpersonal attractiveness perceptions of senior citizens toward their same‐sex cohorts. The study of male and female elderly (ages 55–85+) employed silhouettes of target body types (ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph). Dependent variables included three dimensions of interpersonal attraction: 1) physical—someone visibly pleasing in appearance; 2) social—someone pleasant to be with; and 3) task—someone desirable to work with. Communication desirability was measured as the level of comfort with someone with whom communication is shared, and served as a fourth dependent variable. A measure of the similarity between the target's and the subject's own body type and its effect on attractiveness ratings of target body types was also obtained. Subjects with each of the three body types rated target body silhouettes representing their own body type as more like themselves, but they did not rate them as more attractive than the other two types. The endomorph (round body type) was rated significantly lower on all four measures as compared with the other two body types. Ratings of physical attractiveness produced the largest effect. Neither chronological age nor gender were meaningful factors affecting senior citizen attractiveness choices.