Psychologists Discover Gender Difference in Preference for Thin or Plump – ryan
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Overall, participants were shown 168 faces, variations of the images above, representing seven lip sizes with lips thinner or plumper than the norm. Participants were given 1.25s to register how relatively attractive they found each image.
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While the general results show participants thought slightly plumper lips were more attractive on the female face and slightly thinner lips more attractive on a male face, when disaggregated by gender, men preferred a female face with natural lip size image, with women preferring plumper lips.
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Next steps
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“While not directly part of this study, the results suggest a complex interplay between social conditioning and gender,” Professor Alais said.
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“This study provides valuable insights into how people respond to facial features based on immediately prior as well as acculturated visual experience,” he said.
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rn“Further research is needed to explore the long-term effects of cosmetic procedures on body image and the potential for visual adaptation to contribute to body dysmorphia.”
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Research
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Alais, D. et al ‘Distortions of lip size bias perceived facial attractiveness’ (Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 2025) DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2025.0202
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Data and code for the study are publicly available at this link.
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Declaration
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The researchers declare no conflicts of interest. David Alais and Jess Taubert receive research funding from the Australian Research Council.
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Professor Alais, Working With Associate Professor Jessica Taubert At the University of Queensland, Recruited 32 Students – 16 Female and 16 Male – for the experiments. The participants were shown images of a digitally manipulated proxy image for a human face with alterations around a ‘norm’.
Overall, participants were shown 168 faces, variations of the images above, representing seven lip sizes with lips ther or plumper than the norm. Participants were given 1.25s to register how relatively attractive they found each image.
While the general results show participants thought slightly plumper lips were more attractive on the femal face and slightly thist lips more attractive on a male face, when disaggregated by gender, men prefer a female face with natural lip size, with women prefer plumper lips.
Next Steps
“While not directly part of this study, the results suggest a complex interplay between social conditioning and gender,” Professor Alais said.
“This study provides valuable insights into how people respond to facial features based on immediately prior as well as acculturated visual experience,” he said.
“Further research is needed to explore the long-term effects of cosmetic procedures on body image and the potential for visual adaptation to contribute to body dysmorphia.”
Research
Alais, D. et al ‘Distortions of Lip Size Bias Perceived Facial Attractiveness’ (Proceedings of the Royal Society B2025) DOI: 10.1098/RSPB.2025.0202
Data and Code for the Study Are Publicly Available at this link.
Declaration
The Researchers Declare No Conflicts of Interest. David Alais and Jess Taubert Receive Research Funding from the Australian Research Council.