Fact or wishful thinking? Biased expectations in "I think I look better when I'm tanned". Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of tanned female images on respondents' perceptions of attractiveness, healthiness, and height and weight estimations. METHOD: A 3 (light, medium, or dark tan) by 2 (male or female respondent) experimental design. RESULTS: Only male respondents perceived the dark-tanned woman as more physically attractive and thinner than both light- and medium-tanned women. Men also perceived the dark-tanned woman as more interpersonally attractive and healthier than the medium-tanned woman. CONCLUSIONS: Campaigns targeted at males need to reduce the perceptions that tanned females are healthier, thinner, and more attractive. Educational efforts targeting females need to reduce attraction-based motivations.

publication date

  • January 1, 2008

Research

keywords

  • Attitude to Health
  • Heliotherapy
  • Prejudice
  • Social Desirability

Identity

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.5555/ajhb.2008.32.3.243

PubMed ID

  • 18067464

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 32

issue

  • 3