Waist-to-hip ratio and female physical attractiveness: The moderating role of power motivation and the mating context

Abstract

The purpose of the present investigation was to extend the validity of Singh’s (1993) hypothesis of the effect of waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) on judgments of female attractiveness, using a motivational perspective which builds on motives and incentives. It is argued that the well-documented preference for normal weight females with a WHR of .7 is moderated by the power motive and by short-term vs. long-term mating contexts. A total of 133 participants (58 male, 75 female) were recruited to rate 12 line drawings varying in weight and WHR. Participants had to rate females’ attractiveness judged from the perspective of a person who is looking for a partner in a short-term, long-term, and work-partner relationship. Furthermore, individual differences in power motivation were examined. On the basis of evolutionary psychological considerations, it was expected and found that the preference for the .7 WHR and normal-weight category was moderated by individual differences as well as by situational contexts; with a stronger preference profile for individuals high in power motivation and for individuals who are looking for a partner in a short-term relationship. Results are interpreted in an evolutionary context which describes variable mating strategies as conditional on dispositional (motive) and situational (incentive) factors.