Title

Breast And Chest Size: Ideals And Stereotypes Through The 1990S

Abstract

This study investigated differences in ideals and stereotypes associated with breast and chest size through the 1990s. Five cohorts of primarily Caucasian participants between 1990 and 1998 completed the Breast/Chest Rating Scale that consists of figures of men and women of varying upper torso sizes and a series of questions related to ideal size, perceptions of others' ideals, and characteristics associated with different sizes. Although the breast size women perceive as preferred by others has increased, the ideal breast size has remained stable for men and women. Men's ideal breast size was consistently larger than the breast size women prefer, and men also preferred a significantly larger chest size. Despite an increasing cultural emphasis on large chest size, there was a significant decrease in the chest size preferred by women across cohort groups. The chest size men think women prefer, however, has increased. Although there was little evidence of changes in stereotypes associated with chest size, the breast size associated with a variety of positive characteristics was significantly larger in 1998 than in 1992. These results are discussed in relation to body image and social implications.

Publication Date

8-1-2001

Publication Title

Sex Roles

Volume

45

Issue

3-4

Number of Pages

231-242

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1013505928458

Socpus ID

0035413384 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/0035413384

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS