The Symptoms of Resource Scarcity: Judgments of Food and Finances Influence Preferences for Potential Partners

Authors: Leif D. Nelson¹; Evan L. Morrison²

Source: Psychological Science, Volume 16, Number 2, February 2005 , pp. 167-173(7)

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Abstract:

Male preferences for female body weight follow a consistent cross-cultural pattern such that in cultures with scarce resources, heavier women are preferred, whereas in cultures with abundant resources, thinner women are preferred. We offer a social-cognitive account for these findings based on the individual experience of resource scarcity. In four studies (N=1,176), we explored the possibility that this cross-cultural relationship emerges at the individual level; that is, we investigated whether situational feelings of resource scarcity predict personal preferences within a single culture. We operationalized intraindividual resource scarcity through feelings of financial and caloric dissatisfaction. Accordingly, we hypothesized—and found—that men who feel either poor or hungry prefer heavier women than men who feel rich or full. We discuss these findings in terms of how patterns of cross-cultural norms may be evinced at the individual level through an implicit psychological mechanism.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.0956-7976.2005.00798.x

Affiliations: 1: Leonard N. Stern School of Business, New York University, and 2: Department of Psychology, Stanford University

Publication date: 2005-02-01