Predictors of enhancing human physical attractiveness: Data from 93 countries

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cris.lastimport.scopus2025-11-14T04:10:13Z
dc.abstract.enPeople across the world and throughout history have gone to great lengths to enhance their physical appearance. Evolutionary psychologists and ethologists have largely attempted to explain this phenomenon via mating preferences and strategies. Here, we test one of the most popular evolutionary hypotheses for beauty-enhancing behaviors, drawn from mating market and parasite stress perspectives, in a large cross-cultural sample. We also test hypotheses drawn from other influential and non-mutually exclusive theoretical frameworks, from biosocial role theory to a cultural media perspective. Survey data from 93,158 human participants across 93 countries provide evidence that behaviors such as applying makeup or using other cosmetics, hair grooming, clothing style, caring for body hygiene, and exercising or following a specific diet for the specific purpose of improving ones physical attractiveness, are universal. Indeed, 99% of participants reported spending >10 min a day performing beauty-enhancing behaviors. The results largely support evolutionary hypotheses: more time was spent enhancing beauty by women (almost 4 h a day, on average) than by men (3.6 h a day), by the youngest participants (and contrary to predictions, also the oldest), by those with a relatively more severe history of infectious diseases, and by participants currently dating compared to those in established relationships. The strongest predictor of attractiveness-enhancing behaviors was social media usage. Other predictors, in order of effect size, included adhering to traditional gender roles, residing in countries with less gender equality, considering oneself as highly attractive or, conversely, highly unattractive, TV watching time, higher socioeconomic status, right-wing political beliefs, a lower level of education, and personal individualistic attitudes. This study provides novel insight into universal beauty-enhancing behaviors by unifying evolutionary theory with several other complementary perspectives.
dc.affiliationWydział Projektowania w Warszawie
dc.affiliationSzkoła Doktorska
dc.affiliationWydział Psychologii w Sopocie
dc.affiliationInstytut Psychologii
dc.contributor.authorKowal, Marta
dc.contributor.authorSorokowski, Piotr
dc.contributor.authorPisanski, Katarzyna
dc.contributor.authorValentova, Jaroslava V.
dc.contributor.authorVarella, Marco A.C.
dc.contributor.authorFrederick, David A.
dc.contributor.authorAl-Shawaf, Laith
dc.contributor.authorGarcía, Felipe E.
dc.contributor.authorGiammusso, Isabella
dc.contributor.authorGjoneska, Biljana
dc.contributor.authorKozma, Luca
dc.contributor.authorOtterbring, Tobias
dc.contributor.authorPapadatou-Pastou, Marietta
dc.contributor.authorPfuhl, Gerit
dc.contributor.authorStöckli, Sabrina
dc.contributor.authorStudzinska, Anna
dc.contributor.authorToplu-Demirtaş, Ezgi
dc.contributor.authorTouloumakos, Anna K.
dc.contributor.authorBakos, Bence E.
dc.contributor.authorBatres, Carlota
dc.contributor.authorBonneterre, Solenne
dc.contributor.authorCzamanski-Cohen, Johanna
dc.contributor.authorDacanay, Jovi C.
dc.contributor.authorDeschrijver, Eliane
dc.contributor.authorFisher, Maryanne L.
dc.contributor.authorGrano, Caterina
dc.contributor.authorGrigoryev, Dmitry
dc.contributor.authorKačmár, Pavol
dc.contributor.authorKozlov, Mikhail V.
dc.contributor.authorManunta, Efisio
dc.contributor.authorMassar, Karlijn
dc.contributor.authorMcFall, Joseph P.
dc.contributor.authorMebarak, Moises
dc.contributor.authorMiccoli, Maria Rosa
dc.contributor.authorMilfont, Taciano L.
dc.contributor.authorProkop, Pavol
dc.contributor.authorAavik, Toivo
dc.contributor.authorArriaga, Patrícia
dc.contributor.authorBaiocco, Roberto
dc.contributor.authorČeněk, Jiří
dc.contributor.authorÇetinkaya, Hakan
dc.contributor.authorDuyar, Izzet
dc.contributor.authorGuemaz, Farida
dc.contributor.authorIshii, Tatsunori
dc.contributor.authorKamburidis, Julia A.
dc.contributor.authorKhun-Inkeeree, Hareesol
dc.contributor.authorLidborg, Linda H.
dc.contributor.authorManor, Hagar
dc.contributor.authorNussinson, Ravit
dc.contributor.authorOmar-Fauzee, Mohd Sofian B.
dc.contributor.authorPazhoohi, Farid
dc.contributor.authorPonnet, Koen
dc.contributor.authorCaetano Santos, Anabela
dc.contributor.authorSenyk, Oksana
dc.contributor.authorSpasovski, Ognen
dc.contributor.authorVintila, Mona
dc.contributor.authorWang, Austin H.
dc.contributor.authorYoo, Gyesook
dc.contributor.authorZerhouni, Oulmann
dc.contributor.authorRizwan, Amin
dc.contributor.authorAquino, Sibele
dc.contributor.authorBoğa, Merve
dc.contributor.authorBoussena, Mahmoud
dc.contributor.authorCan, Ali R.
dc.contributor.authorCan, Seda
dc.contributor.authorCastro, Rita
dc.contributor.authorChirumbolo, Antonio
dc.contributor.authorÇoker, Ogeday
dc.contributor.authorCornec, Clément
dc.contributor.authorDural, Seda
dc.contributor.authorEder, Stephanie J.
dc.contributor.authorGhahraman Moharrampour, Nasim
dc.contributor.authorGrassini, Simone
dc.contributor.authorHristova, Evgeniya
dc.contributor.authorIkizer, Gözde
dc.contributor.authorKervyn, Nicolas
dc.contributor.authorKoyuncu, Mehmet
dc.contributor.authorKunisato, Yoshihiko
dc.contributor.authorLins, Samuel
dc.contributor.authorMandzyk, Tetyana
dc.contributor.authorMari, Silvia
dc.contributor.authorMattiassi, Alan D.A.
dc.contributor.authorMemisoglu-Sanli, Aybegum
dc.contributor.authorMorelli, Mara
dc.contributor.authorNovaes, Felipe C.
dc.contributor.authorParise, Miriam
dc.contributor.authorPavela Banai, Irena
dc.contributor.authorPerun, Mariia
dc.contributor.authorPlohl, Nejc
dc.contributor.authorZahra Sahli, Fatima
dc.contributor.authorŠakan, Dušana
dc.contributor.authorSmojver-Azic, Sanja
dc.contributor.authorSolak, Çağlar
dc.contributor.authorSöylemez, Sinem
dc.contributor.authorToyama, Asako
dc.contributor.authorWlodarczyk, Anna
dc.contributor.authorYamada, Yuki
dc.contributor.authorAbad-Villaverde, Beatriz
dc.contributor.authorAfhami, Reza
dc.contributor.authorAkello, Grace
dc.contributor.authorAlami, Nael H.
dc.contributor.authorAlma, Leyla
dc.contributor.authorArgyrides, Marios
dc.contributor.authorAtamtürk, Derya
dc.contributor.authorBurduli, Nana
dc.contributor.authorCardona, Sayra
dc.contributor.authorCarneiro, João
dc.contributor.authorCastañeda, Andrea
dc.contributor.authorChałatkiewicz, Izabela
dc.contributor.authorChopik, William J.
dc.contributor.authorChubinidze, Dimitri
dc.contributor.authorConroy-Beam, Daniel
dc.contributor.authorContreras-Garduño, Jorge
dc.contributor.authorRibeiro da Silva, Diana
dc.contributor.authorDon, Yahya B.
dc.contributor.authorDonato, Silvia
dc.contributor.authorDubrov, Dmitrii
dc.contributor.authorDuračková, Michaela
dc.contributor.authorDutt, Sanjana
dc.contributor.authorEbimgbo, Samuel O.
dc.contributor.authorEstevan, Ignacio
dc.contributor.authorEtchezahar, Edgardo
dc.contributor.authorFedor, Peter
dc.contributor.authorFekih-Romdhane, Feten
dc.contributor.authorFrackowiak, Tomasz
dc.contributor.authorGałasińska-Grygorczuk, Katarzyna
dc.contributor.authorGargula, Łukasz
dc.contributor.authorGelbart, Benjamin
dc.contributor.authorGomez Yepes, Talia
dc.contributor.authorHamdaoui, Brahim
dc.contributor.authorHromatko, Ivana
dc.contributor.authorItibi, Salome N.
dc.contributor.authorJaforte, Luna
dc.contributor.authorJanssen, Steve M.J.
dc.contributor.authorJovic, Marija
dc.contributor.authorKertechian, Kevin S.
dc.contributor.authorKhan, Farah
dc.contributor.authorKobylarek, Aleksander
dc.contributor.authorKoso-Drljevic, Maida
dc.contributor.authorKrasnodębska, Anna
dc.contributor.authorKrižanić, Valerija
dc.contributor.authorLanda-Blanco, Miguel
dc.contributor.authorMailhos, Alvaro
dc.contributor.authorMarot, Tiago
dc.contributor.authorMartinac Dorcic, Tamara
dc.contributor.authorMartinez-Banfi, Martha
dc.contributor.authorRahimi Yusof, Mat
dc.contributor.authorMayorga-Lascano, Marlon
dc.contributor.authorMikuličiūtė, Vita
dc.contributor.authorMišetić, Katarina
dc.contributor.authorMusil, Bojan
dc.contributor.authorNajmussaqib, Arooj
dc.contributor.authorNalla Muthu, Kavitha
dc.contributor.authorNatividade, Jean C.
dc.contributor.authorNdukaihe, Izuchukwu L.G.
dc.contributor.authorNyhus, Ellen K.
dc.contributor.authorOberzaucher, Elisabeth
dc.contributor.authorOmar, Salma S.
dc.contributor.authorOstaszewski, Franciszek
dc.contributor.authorPacquing, Ma. Criselda T.
dc.contributor.authorPagani, Ariela F.
dc.contributor.authorPark, Ju Hee
dc.contributor.authorPirtskhalava, Ekaterine
dc.contributor.authorReips, Ulf-Dietrich
dc.contributor.authorReyes, Marc Eric S.
dc.contributor.authorRöer, Jan P.
dc.contributor.authorŞahin, Ayşegül
dc.contributor.authorSamekin, Adil
dc.contributor.authorSargautytė, Rūta
dc.contributor.authorSemenovskikh, Tatiana
dc.contributor.authorSiepelmeyer, Henrik
dc.contributor.authorSingh, Sangeeta
dc.contributor.authorSołtys, Alicja
dc.contributor.authorSorokowska, Agnieszka
dc.contributor.authorSoto-López, Rodrigo
dc.contributor.authorSultanova, Liliya
dc.contributor.authorTamayo-Agudelo, William
dc.contributor.authorTan, Chee-Seng
dc.contributor.authorTopanova, Gulmira T.
dc.contributor.authorTopcu Bulut, Merve
dc.contributor.authorTrémolière, Bastien
dc.contributor.authorTulyakul, Singha
dc.contributor.authorTürkan, Belgüzar N.
dc.contributor.authorUrbanek, Arkadiusz
dc.contributor.authorVolkodav, Tatiana
dc.contributor.authorWalter, Kathryn V.
dc.contributor.authorYaakob, Mohd Faiz Mohd
dc.contributor.authorZumárraga-Espinosa, Marcos
dc.date.access2022-09-06
dc.date.accessioned2025-11-13T14:43:50Z
dc.date.available2025-11-13T14:43:50Z
dc.date.created2022-08-13
dc.date.issued2022-11
dc.description.accesstimebefore_publication
dc.description.issue6
dc.description.physical455-474
dc.description.sdgGoodHealthAndWellBeing
dc.description.versionfinal_published
dc.description.volume43
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2022.08.003
dc.identifier.issn1090-5138
dc.identifier.urihttps://share.swps.edu.pl/handle/swps/1986
dc.identifier.weblinkhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090513822000472?via%3Dihub
dc.languageen
dc.pbn.affiliationpsychologia
dc.rightsCC-BY
dc.rights.questionYes_rights
dc.share.articleOTHER
dc.subject.enEvolutionary theory
dc.subject.enMating market perspective
dc.subject.enPathogen stress
dc.subject.enAppearance
dc.subject.enSelf-modification
dc.subject.enSocial media usage
dc.swps.sciencecloudnosend
dc.titlePredictors of enhancing human physical attractiveness: Data from 93 countries
dc.title.journalEvolution and Human Behavior
dc.typeJournalArticle
dspace.entity.typeArticle