Developmental Study on Leg-to-Body Ratio Preferences

Abstract

Only a few studies have tested developmental differences in perception of human body attractiveness and none investigated development of Leg-to-Body Ratio (LBR) preferences. The aim of the current study was to determine whether preferences for LBR are congenital and present among children in their early childhood, or whether they are rather acquired in the course of socialization, or/and because of biological and hormonal changes. In the study participated 450 Polish people from Lower Silesia and Opole Province, whose age ranged from 3 to 20 years. They were asked to choose figurine they found the most attractive from a set of male and female figurines of various LBRs. It was found that children below 8 years of age did not prefer any particular LBR and starting from about 9 years of age, preferences towards the legs of average length emerged. Importantly, the LBR higher than the average was not perceived as the most attractive until the age of 15 years. Therefore, we have empirically confirmed that LBR preferences change during development.