Abstract | It has been proposed that there may be a general psychological mechanism which interacts with resource availability to influence preferences for human body weight, which may also extend to non-human objects. To test this hypothesis, we first replicated previous studies of preferences for human body weight using a new set of line drawings. The results of this study showed that hunger, as a proxy for resource availability, elicited a preference for a slightly heavier body weight. We then designed three studies that manipulated the size of different objects (an anvil, an empty milk bottle, and differently-filled bottles) and asked participants to rate these for aesthetic appeal. The results showed that the hunger level of participants in the three studies did not affect the aesthetic appeal of the objects being rated. Explanations for these findings are discussed in conclusion. |
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