TY - JOUR
T1 - "What women like"
T2 - Influence of motion and form on esthetic body perception
AU - Cazzato, Valentina
AU - Siega, Serena
AU - Urgesi, Cosimo
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Several studies have shown the distinct contribution of motion and form to the esthetic evaluation of female bodies. Here, we investigated how variations of implied motion and body size interact in the esthetic evaluation of female and male bodies in a sample of young healthy women. Participants provided attractiveness, beauty, and liking ratings for the shape and posture of virtual renderings of human bodies with variable body size and implied motion. The esthetic judgments for both shape and posture of human models were influenced by body size and implied motion, with a preference for thinner and more dynamic stimuli. Implied motion, however, attenuated the impact of extreme body size on the esthetic evaluation of body postures, while body size variations did not affect the preference for more dynamic stimuli. Results show that body form and action cues interact in esthetic perception, but the final esthetic appreciation of human bodies is predicted by a mixture of perceptual and affective evaluative components.
AB - Several studies have shown the distinct contribution of motion and form to the esthetic evaluation of female bodies. Here, we investigated how variations of implied motion and body size interact in the esthetic evaluation of female and male bodies in a sample of young healthy women. Participants provided attractiveness, beauty, and liking ratings for the shape and posture of virtual renderings of human bodies with variable body size and implied motion. The esthetic judgments for both shape and posture of human models were influenced by body size and implied motion, with a preference for thinner and more dynamic stimuli. Implied motion, however, attenuated the impact of extreme body size on the esthetic evaluation of body postures, while body size variations did not affect the preference for more dynamic stimuli. Results show that body form and action cues interact in esthetic perception, but the final esthetic appreciation of human bodies is predicted by a mixture of perceptual and affective evaluative components.
KW - Body perception
KW - Body posture
KW - Body shape
KW - Esthetic judgments
KW - Implied motion
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84867041534&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84867041534&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00235
DO - 10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00235
M3 - Article
C2 - 22866044
AN - SCOPUS:84867041534
VL - 3
JO - Frontiers in Psychology
JF - Frontiers in Psychology
SN - 1664-1078
IS - JUL
M1 - Article 235
ER -