Figure preferences in two generations of men: The use of figure drawings illustrating differences in muscle mass

Using a new set of male figure drawings which (unlike the Stunkard, Sorensen, & Schulsinger, 1983 figures) illustrate differing degrees of muscle mass rather than body fat, college men and adult men selected their current figure, ideal figure, figure they thought most attractive to women and figure that they thought would be the ideal for other men. Adult men's choices indicated satisfaction with their current bodies, but college men's selections indicated a desire to be larger (partly because they believe that a much larger body is what everybody [men and women] finds most attractive). The male body college women find most attractive is larger than what college men indicate they currently have but smaller than what the college men want to look like. Adult women chose an ideal male figure which is the same as that which the adult men indicate they have. Thus, selections using the new figure drawings show a desire for more muscle mass in college men and satisfaction in adult men, while selections using the Stunkard, et al. (1983) figure drawings indicated satisfaction in college men and a desire for less body fat in the adult men (Rozin & Fallon, 1988). Both sets of figures provide valuable information.