Study reveals how women behave while gazing at other women

A new study looks at the female body from a women's perspective.

Researcher used eye-tracking technology to explore how healthy, confident women behave while gazing at another woman's body.

Although women looked at the waist and hip regions the most, it was also found that the more a woman was satisfied with a particular area of her body, the less likely she was to gaze at that region on the model.

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Although women tended to look at the waist and hip regions the most, it was also found that the more a woman was satisfied with a particular area of her body, the less likely she was to gaze at that area of the model

HOW WAS IT DONE? 

The University of Lincoln gave 33 female subjects eye-tracking devices to understand how women behave while looking at other women.

Computer generated images with different body types were used in the study - they ranged from size 6 to size 18 based on UK high-street dress sizes.

And they were either sporting tight-fitting or loose clothing. 

 Subjects were instructed to rate the models on attractiveness and guess their dress size. 

 The results were found to be consistent with previous research, which is that most women spend more time looking at the waist and hip region of other women's bodies.

After that, the team found that the women spent an equal amount of time looking at the avatar's head, upper-body and legs, and the least amount was spent gazing at the arms.

However, they also discovered that the more a woman was satisfied with a particular area of their body, the less likely they were to gaze at that area on the model.  

The study was conducted by Amelia Cundall and Kun Guo at the University of Lincoln, who asked 33 female heterosexual psychology undergrads to strap on eye-tracking technology while gazing at multiple female avatars, reports Christian Jarrett with The British Psychological Society.

These computer generated images were designed to have different body types, ranging from size 6 to size 18 based on UK dress sizes.

And they were either sporting tight-fitting or loose clothing.

'The faces of four Caucasian models were chosen to represent each dress size,' reads the study published in the journal Psychological Research.

'Each model was of a similar age, had the same hairstyle and similar facial expression with no distinctive facial or body markings, and was presented twice with different clothing style (one in loose clothing and one in tight clothing).'

'Of the four models, two were viewed at a full body frontal view, and two at a 45° full body mid-profile view.

'In total, 56 body images (8 images per size × 7 dress sizes) were created for testing.'

Each participant was then asked to rate each of the avatars on attractiveness and make a guess about the avatar's dress size.

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Researcher also instructed subjects to rate their own body satisfaction – separately for face, breast, waist, hips arms and legs.

They were then given a series of questions that asked about how much they compare their own physical appearance to others.

Participants were asked to wear eye-tracking technology while viewing multiple female avatars. These computer generated images were designed to have different body types, ranging from size 6 to size 18 based on UK dress sizes

And the team also took each of the women's body-mass index (BMI), dress and cup size.

The results were found to be consistent with previous research, which is that most women spend more time looking at the waist and hip region of other women's bodies.

After that, the team found that the women spent an equal amount of time looking at the avatar's head, upper-body and legs, and the least amount was spent gazing at the arms.

The models were shown wearing either tight-fitting or loose clothing . The subjects gave slimmer women the same attractive ratings regardless if they were dressed in tight-fitting or loose clothing, but they also deemed the avatars of being a size 12 as more attractive

Most women spend more time looking at the waist and hip region of other women's bodies. After that, the team found that the women spent an equal amount of time looking at the avatar's head, upper-body and legs, and the least amount was spent gazing at the arms.

However, they also discovered that the more a woman was satisfied with a particular area of their body, the less likely they were to gaze at that area on the model.  

When it came to attractive ratings, the slimmer avatars were given higher scores and women who were a size 18 were rated the least attractive.

However, the researchers pointed out that 'thinner is not necessarily more attractive, as the found that a size 6 was rated less attractive than 8, 10 and 12 – but it was 'seen on par with size 14'.

The subjects gave slimmer women the same attractive ratings regardless if they were dressed in tight-fitting or loose clothing, but they also deemed the avatars of being a size 12 as more attractive.

WOMEN CHECK OUT OTHER WOMEN MORE THAN MEN 

Women spend more time checking out other women than they do checking out men, keen to see what 'the opposition' is wearing, how much cellulite they have, what their hair looks like and how thin they are, according to a recent study. Clocking other women's shoes, height, cellulite, where their handbag is from and whether or not they have had plastic surgery is the usual thought process, the study found.

Others check out women to see if they are thinner than them, while trying to spot dark or unflattering hair roots is also commonplace, while looking out for wedding rings is also on the checklist.

Half of the 2,000 women polled by online retailer Swimwear 365 said they 'enjoy' comparing themselves to women they work with, befriend or pass in the street.

And the beach is the place where most female ogling goes on, with 80 percent of those polled saying they love having a good look at other women when they are sunbathing.

The study also found one in five like to guess what country other women are from, 43 per cent like to check out their swimwear and one in twenty like to critique their tans.

One third said that they would be more impressed by a female with a toned physique than a man and 42 percent said every woman was something to compare themselves to.

A competitive one in ten women said they always want to look better than 'the opposition', but a more realistic 40 percent said they don't compare themselves to other women in a spiteful way.

Nearly half of those polled said they complement women they don't know on how they look, with the most likely compliment to be about their clothes. 

And the women also suggests the size 12 models had a smaller dress size when they were shown in loose clothing.

What Cundall and Guo found that did not coincide with previous research is that they did not find a no link between subjects' own body satisfaction or their body size and the time spent looking at the avatars that they deemed more or less attractive.

These findings suggest that there is a lack of either a harmful or self-protective bias.

That team believes that this was found because participants had healthy below-average BMIs and were confident in the way they looked.

'In relation to social comparison theory, it seems that in our sample of healthy young women, self-satisfaction with a body region means the need for comparing that region is reduced and thus gaze is allocated at the neighboring body areas that are also informative for body attractiveness and size assessment, especially when viewing the preferred body image,' researchers wrote.

The team also found participants with a smaller chest size spent less time looking at the chest area of the avatars.

'It seems having a smaller chest size may result in an unconscious avoidance of viewing other women's chest area, possibly to preserve self-esteem,' reads the study. 

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