- Women saw images of breasts that had been manipulated to make them larger and saggy
- They were more likely to respond aggressively to images of women with large breasts
When it comes to body image, having larger breasts is a dream for many women.
But be careful what you wish for: people with larger cup sizes are often the target of more aggression.
This is evident from a new study led by researchers from Texas A&M International University.
The research suggests that this aggression may be caused by women with larger breasts being seen as a threat.
“Given the great importance men attach to women’s breast morphology, particularly size, women generally pay more attention to this factor,” the team wrote in the study.
When it comes to body image, having larger breasts is something many women dream of. But be careful what you wish for – those who flaunt larger cup sizes are often the target of more aggression (stock image)
In their study, the researchers wanted to find out whether breast size influences aggression in women.
Writing in their study, published in GendersThe team, led by Ray Garza, explained: ‘Physical traits desired by males can lead to intrasexual competition in females.
‘We investigated the role of breast morphology in women’s likelihood of engaging in competitive, derogatory tactics, such as verbal and indirect aggression.’
The team recruited 114 women and were shown various images of women’s breasts that had been manipulated for both size and sagging (also known as ptosis).
It is important to note that the images only show a view from the base of the neck to the upper body of the woman. The face is therefore not included.
For each image, participants were asked how likely they were to be “indirectly aggressive” toward the woman.
“For example, spreading malicious gossip about her, spreading harmful rumors about her, or trying to exclude her socially,” the team explained.
An analysis of the results found that there was a ‘significant’ association between aggression and breast size, but not with sagging breasts.
The team recruited 114 women, who were shown various images of women’s breasts that had been manipulated for both size and laxity (also known as ptosis). Importantly, the images only included a view from the base of the woman’s neck to her upper body, meaning the face was not taken into account.
An analysis of the results found that there was a ‘significant’ association between aggression and breast size, but not with flabbiness.
‘Breast size contributed to derogatory attitudes toward other women. Women with larger breasts were more likely to be victims of verbal and indirect aggression,’ the researchers said.
While the reason for the findings remains unclear, the team suggests that the aggression stems from the perception that women with larger breasts pose a greater threat.
“It has been suggested that females have psychological mechanisms that drive them to compete with other females, particularly in mating,” they explained.
‘If men find women with large, non-ptotic breasts attractive, women may be more vigilant toward women with such breast morphology and employ tactics to reduce the risk of competition among these females.’
The researchers indicate that drooping shoulders do not seem to affect aggression. This may be due to the age of the participants.
‘Breast ptosis is often a sign of a woman’s age, as ptosis increases as women age, they concluded.
‘Our participants were young and may pay more attention to breast size, which is easier to see in women of their age than the degree of sagging. Therefore, they do not consider women to be competitors based on variations in ptosis.’