The Biology of Beauty

Lecture Outline - Psy 252

9/14/99

 

 

 

What is beauty made of?

 

A. Female Beauty

1) Person must be healthy and clean

2) Symmetry conveys developmental stability

3) Averageness

4) Enhancing averageness with computers

The more feminized version is preferred

5) Torso

For female's waist-to-hip ration of .7 (or smaller) is ideal

6) Muscle Madness

Slight muscle enhancement is O.K., but too much interferes with

ovulation because fat stores are diminished as muscle mass increases.

 

 

B. Male Beauty

1) Person must be healthy and clean

2) Symmetry conveys developmental stability

3) Averageness

4) Enhancing averageness with computers

The more feminized version is preferred

5) Body size rules

6) Torso

For male's waist-to-hip ration of .9 is ideal

7) Muscle Madness

More muscle mass is good up to a point.

Taking drugs (which mimic testosterone) shuts down bodies

production of testosterone.

Can cause liver failure, heart problems, shrinks testes, can shut down

body's production of testosterone, which shuts down sperm production causing infertility and erectile dysfunction.