Preference for attractiveness and thinness in a partner: Influence of internalization of the thin ideal and shape/weight dissatisfaction in heterosexual women, heterosexual men, lesbians, and gay men

Legenbauer, Tanja; Vocks, Silja; Schäfer, Corinna; Schütt-Strömel, Sabine; Hiller, Wolfgang; Wagner, Christof; Vögele, Claus

doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2009.04.002

Cited by 62 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…Less attention has been paid to the features that lesbians seek in a partner. Although previous research found that nonheterosexual 3 women desire physical attractiveness in a mate to the same extent that heterosexual women do (Bailey, Gaulin, Agyei, & Gladue, 1994;Lippa, 2007;Legenbauer, Vocks, Schafer, Schutt-Stromel, Hiller, Wagner, et al, 2009), little is known about the specific physical attributes that nonheterosexual women prefer in their female partners. The present research sought to expand on the study of nonheterosexual women's preferences for physical attractiveness by investigating lesbians' preferences for specific body attributes associated with female attractiveness.…”

mentioning

confidence: 94%

Sexual Orientation and Shifts in Preferences for a Partner's Body Attributes in Short-Term versus Long-Term Mating Contexts

et al. 2011

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This study assessed the effects of short- and long-term mating contexts on preferences for body characteristics of potential relationship partners in lesbians and heterosexual women. Lesbians (n = 41) rated figure drawings and computer-generated images of women that varied in body fat, waist-to-hip ratio, and breast size; heterosexual women (n = 95) rated computer-generated images of men that varied in muscularity and body fat. Both lesbians and heterosexual women showed a shift in preferences toward more physically attractive partners for shortterm relationships. All body aspects were affected, except that heterosexual women did not show a preference shift for male body fat. The results were interpreted in terms of a mating trade-off strategy in which mate preferences are the consequence of cost/benefit analyses and suggest that preferences for physical attributes of sexual partners may be shared by members of the same sex regardless of sexual orientation.

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confidence: 94%

Sexual Orientation and Shifts in Preferences for a Partner's Body Attributes in Short-Term versus Long-Term Mating Contexts

et al. 2011

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“…Several studies have found that men, regardless of sexual orientation, place a greater emphasis on physical appearance (i.e., thinness and attractiveness) when looking for a romantic partner than do women. 5,[15][16][17] One study examined personal ads in several regional newspapers and found that men, regardless of sexual orientation, asked for more body shape descriptors from potential mates than did women, supporting that men placed a greater emphasis on physical appearance when selecting a partner. 18 These cultural pressures and aesthetic ideals appear to be much more salient for BG men than straight men.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

The impact of relationships on the association between sexual orientation and disordered eating in men

Brown

Keel

2012

Intl J Eating Disorders

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“…Women's bodies tend to be evaluated and scrutinized more often than men's bodies (for a discussion of objectification, see Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997;Oehlhof, Musher-Eizenman, Neufeld, & Hauser, 2009), which may cause women to become increasingly aware of how they appear to others, especially to a romantic partner. In addition, men tend to place more significance on a potential mate's physical attractiveness than do women (Legenbauer et al, 2009;Margolin & White, 1987;Townsend & Levy, 1998), and women typically place more importance on their own appearance than do men (Pliner, Chaiken, & Flett, 1990). Both of these tendencies may cause women to invest more time and effort in trying to attain an ideal physique (i.e., thin).…”

Section: Body Image and Gendermentioning

confidence: 91%

An Evaluation of the Relationship between Body Image and Sexual Avoidance

Rocque

Cioe

2011

J. of Sex Res.

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This study examined the relationship between body image and sexual avoidance. Of particular interest was whether this relationship was mediated by other variables. Participants were 362 undergraduate students who responded to a battery of questionnaires pertaining to three aspects of body image, sexually avoidant behavior, and three mediator variables, which included sexual esteem, sexual satisfaction, and sexual desire. Consistent with previous studies, a relationship between body image and sexual avoidance was found, indicating that those with a more negative body image displayed a greater tendency to avoid sexual activity. Furthermore, sexual esteem, sexual satisfaction, and sexual desire appeared to mediate this relationship. Implications of these results suggest that these mediator variables are important in the relationship between body image and sexual avoidance, and may be useful targets for those seeking treatment for sexual avoidance issues. Limitations of the study and avenues for future research are discussed.

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Preference for attractiveness and thinness in a partner: Influence of internalization of the thin ideal and shape/weight dissatisfaction in heterosexual women, heterosexual men, lesbians, and gay men

Cited by 62 publications

References 39 publications

Sexual Orientation and Shifts in Preferences for a Partner's Body Attributes in Short-Term versus Long-Term Mating Contexts

Sexual Orientation and Shifts in Preferences for a Partner's Body Attributes in Short-Term versus Long-Term Mating Contexts

The impact of relationships on the association between sexual orientation and disordered eating in men

An Evaluation of the Relationship between Body Image and Sexual Avoidance

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