The research on one of the possible components of human attractiveness discussed in this video clip has created a fair amount of interest and attention. In some ways the basic premise—that women with the low waist-to-hip ratio are generally considered to be most attractive—is not that surprising given current cultural values of sexual attractiveness. What is surprising is that the same characteristic seems to be valued positively so often cross-culturally.

Dr. Devendra Singh has achieved some notoriety for his work in this field, and as you can see on the clip, he is enthusiastic about the implications of his work. He represents a good example of a social scientist who has been very creative in pursuing his interest.

Please watch the following video clip and answer the corresponding follow-up questions.

Waist-to-hip Ratio

1			What was your opinion about the research that Dr. Singh described in which he used Barbie dolls with differing waist-to-hip ratios? What might be some other interpretations of this particular study?
2			Do you think that the “hourglass” figure is a sexually attractive feature in women?