Irresistible Features

Amanda Haas, Karen Reitz, Nik Heberlein

Freshman Seminar

28 April, 1999

What characteristics do we find irresistible in the opposite sex? Darwin studied sexual selection and found that the sexual selection theory has to do with certain individuals’ reproductive advantages over others of the same species and gender. Males and females in a wide range of cultures rank beauty as the most significant aspect of a person of the opposite sex when choosing a mate. Generally, males consider female beauty to consist of youth, fertility, and health. Females are attracted to men who display health and competitive ability. They are particularly attracted to those males who have pronounced sexual features. Darwin began studying beauty standards by comparing different cultures, but he realized that there was not much evidence of general beauty similarities. Therefore, he ceased research. However, there have recently been valid studies that evaluate cross-cultural beauty. Women are considered more attractive if they have small chins and optimal waist-to-hip ratios while more attractive men will have large cheekbones and chins.

Why are women so obsessed with their looks? Some feminists say that the obsession is spurred by male-initiated capitalist activities, but such an explanation does not suffice. The beauty industry thrives because women have always put a lot of time into their looks in an effort to appear youthful. Cosmetics and plastic surgery enhance a woman’s youthful features.

Men are beginning to be big consumers in the beauty industry as well. There are hair dyes and special hair-growth products that enable a man to hide his gray hair and appear younger by eliminating a receding hair- line or bald spot. Males are also more commonly resorting to cosmetic surgery to enhance their masculine facial features. Both men and women have the opportunity to surgically enhance their sexual features. Women and men pay a lot of money for implants because they make them appear more sexual and fertile.

There are many characteristics that attribute to a person’s beauty. We surveyed twenty-five men and twenty-five women, all college students (ages 18-22) to find out which physical traits are most appealing. The outcomes are rather interesting.

Both the males and the females were asked about the hair color, weight, posture, and piercings/tattoos of the opposite sex. They were also asked to respond on whether or not they are picky when choosing a mate. The remaining questions on the surveys were gender-specific, so there is not a way to compare them between sexes.

The first statement on the true/false survey indicated that 5 males out of 25 prefer a female who is "bone thin" as seen in magazines. Sixteen of them disagreed, while 4 were undecided. Only 1 out of 25 females preferred a man who is below his ideal weight. Twenty-three disagreed, and 1 was undecided. Although pictures of extremely skinny males and females are present on magazine covers, commercials, billboards, ads, and movies, it appears as though people do not really prefer thin mates rather than those of a healthy, average size. This corresponds with Darwin’s idea that healthiness contributes to beauty.

Another common stereotype in society is that men prefer blondes. However, our survey contradicts that idea. Only 4 males prefer blondes. Seventeen of them do not prefer blondes, and 3 are undecided. Nine females prefer males with blonde hair, while 11 do not and 5 are undecided. The outcome of the females’ survey is expected because females generally do not seem to have a preference in the hair color of men. However, many people probably expected to see a higher percentage of men who are more attracted to blondes.

One aspect of a person that adds to his/her beauty is posture. Twenty males are most attracted to women with good posture. Only 10 females are interested in men with nice posture, while 6 disagree and 9 are undecided. Men probably prefer women with good posture because it makes them look more confident, shapely, and lady-like. The women’s results were not quite as clear-cut because they do not notice a man’s posture as much. Perhaps one reason why there are not more women who answered affirmatively to this question is because there is a stereotype (or maybe an actual trait) that homosexual men stand and sit very properly. The 15 women who either disagree or are undecided may question whether or not good posture is a masculine trait.

Body piercing and tattoos are common forms of body art not only in the United States but in many other cultures as well. Some people consider body art to be beautiful while others think it is distasteful. Out of the women surveyed, 6 prefer men with tattoos and/or body piercing while 14 are against it and 5 are undecided. Men, on the other hand, are very neutral on the subject.

The final question that is compared between males and females is somewhat different from the others. Each person was asked to answer true, false, or undecided to the statement "I consider myself picky when choosing a mate." The answers may be different from one’s expectations. Twenty males answered "true" while 2 said "false" and the remaining 3 were undecided. In contrast, 20 females had a response of "false" while 5 said "true." There are two possibilities for these statistics. They could be accurate and indicate that males are much more particular than females. This would give reason why women take so much time and effort to better their appearance, because there would be a greater incentive for women to compete with other women in terms of beauty. The second possibility is that man and women are both very selective, but women do not realize or admit that they are picky. Either way, this data supports Darwin’s theory that males and females must be competitive against those of their same sex and species. Females may have the need for more competition. The following graph shows males’ responses to selected questions about females:

The survey results provided may not be quite as accurate as they would be if given to a wider range of people. For example, one could survey people all over Louisville, the state of Kentucky, the United States, the continent, or the world and receive responses from a more varied group of people. Because only a certain group of individuals was surveyed in a specific age range and environment, the results may not reflect the general feelings of society as a whole. In some cases, the age factor causes a problem. Many young adults are just starting to date and do not have enough experience to have a clear picture in mind of what is beautiful and what is not. Another problem is the fact that these individuals are probably primarily associated with people of the opposite sex around their own age.

This brings about even more complexities. It is possible that many of the young people surveyed are dating people who have not reached full physical maturity. For example, an 18-year-old girl may not have reached her full breast size yet and may not be very shapely. A 25-year-old woman, on the other hand, might have a more hourglass-like figure, larger breasts, and a shapely behind. Men in general may prefer women with these characteristics, but the males surveyed are too young to be acquainted with a great number of such women. Similarly, the small group of women surveyed may not know many men with body piercing and tattoos because they are just beginning to meet new diverse people in college. Women in many parts of the world are attracted to the body art of the men in their areas. It is sometimes a symbol of strength and sexuality.

In conclusion, beauty is an idea that is not set in stone. Certain cultures have specific guidelines to determine who is beautiful. However, the main traits that attract persons of the opposite sex are health and sexual attraction.