Why does the ideal of beauty change? It all depends on the level of stress experienced by men, the researchers at the University of Westminster in London claim.
Their point of view is confirmed experimentally. During the experiment, a group of men was given stressful tasks – they had to make a public speech. Then they were asked about their preferences regarding women’s figures. Another group of men who participated in the experiment was not subjected to stress, but also answered the question about female beauty. It was found that men who have gone through stress spoke about plus-size women with greater liking. The control group, which was at rest, demonstrated commitment to the ideals accepted in modern popular culture, which proclaims the cult of thinness.
Scientists note that people are prone to adjust their tastes to a general tend prevailing in society. So, if life in society is relaxed, and there is no problem of survival and starvation, and magazines print pictures of slender models, men will give the palm to the latter. But in a difficult situation preferences change, and it turns out that in difficult times it is better to have a reliable partner. And the subconscious mind tells us that such a partner must have tangible forms.
