More than just skin-deep? A pilot study integrating physical and non-physical factors in the perception of physical attractiveness

The perceived beauty of a potential partner has traditionally been explained in terms of physical characteristics such as body weight and the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), while non-physical characteristics have been neglected. This study looked at the contribution of body weight, WHR and personality to ratings of overall female attractiveness. Seventy-six participants rated 30 line drawings that varied 2 levels of personality (introverted, extraverted), 3 levels of body weight and 5 of WHR. Effect sizes were largest for body weight (0.58), followed by personality (0.25) and finally WHR (0.10). There were significant interactions between all three variables, with effect sizes ranging between (0.3 and 0.4). These results highlight the importance of examining non-physical characteristics when studying perceptions of human beauty, a finding consistent with the notion that beauty is more than just skin-deep.