title: The influence of feminist ascription on judgements of women's physical attractiveness.
abstract: The present study examined the effect of feminist ascription on perceptions of the physical attractiveness of women ranging in body mass index (BMI). One-hundred and twenty-nine women who self-identified as feminists and 132 who self-identified as non-feminists rated a series of 10 images of women that varied in BMI from emaciated to obese. Results showed no significant differences between feminist and non-feminists in the figure they considered to be maximally attractive. However, feminists were more likely to positively perceive a wider range of body sizes than non-feminists. These results are discussed in relation to possible protective factors against the internalisation of the thin ideal and body objectification.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Westminster, 309 Regent Street, London W1B 2UW, United Kingdom. virenswami@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Viren
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Swami
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Salem
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Furnham
authors.forename: Martin J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Tovée
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001504:Beauty; D001828:Body Image; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D019513:Feminism; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology; D050177:Overweight / Q000523:psychology; D012925:Social Conformity; D012933:Social Identification; D012945:Social Values; D013240:Stereotyping; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013851:Thinness / Q000523:psychology