Evolutionary psych

• Evolutionary psychologists believe psychological processes people use to choose a partner come from evolution
• Humans lived as hunter-gatherers in the past making them well-adapted to an environment
• Attractive traits are reliable indicators that a partner is good for passing on our genes
• Singh found waist hip ration was related to attractiveness in women and argued that this is because its reliable indicator of woman's ability to reproduce
• Singh (1993) - Method

  • Male Ps
  • Aged 18-22
  • Rank drawings of female figures with waist hip ratio 0.7 to 1.0
• Singh (1993) Findings

  • 0.7 WHR most attractive and most able to have children
• Singh (2002)

  Argued low WHR reliable indicator of health and ability to reproduce in women. Cited evidence female have higher WHR before puberty and after menopause