Pathogen disgust sensitivity and resource scarcity are associated with mate preference for different waist-to-hip ratios, shoulder-to-hip ratios, and body mass index

Abstract

Environmental factors, such as pathogen prevalence and resource scarcity, are thought to influence mate preferences for traits related to health and resource provisioning potential. Specific body dimensions, such as women's waist-to-hip-ratio (WHR), men’s shoulder-to-hip ratio (SHR), and body mass index (BMI) have also been theorised to be associated with health benefits, or ability to deal with resource scarcity. Here, we test across two studies using different study designs whether the effects of pathogen disgust sensitivity and socioeconomic status (SES; a negative proxy for resource scarcity) on mate preferences extend to men’s WHR preferences, women’s SHR preferences, and both sex’s BMI preferences. Study 1 found that pathogen disgust significantly negatively influenced men’s WHR preference in female bodies, while SES was significantly negatively associated with women’s SHR and BMI preferences in male bodies. Study 2 found that pathogen disgust negatively predicted men’s WHR preference, and positively predicted women’s SHR preference, while SES negatively predicted men’s WHR preference. Our findings support the notion that body shapes are used as cues to health and likelihood of resource provision, and may help explain inconsistencies in the literature regarding variation in body shapes preferences.