Do single women feel more physically attractive than single men? Body appearance self-esteem predictors in never-married single men and women Dominika Ochnik

Abstract

Do single women feel more physically attractive than single men? Body appearance self-esteem predictors in never-married single men and women She's hot and he's not! Background

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Dominika Ochnik
Katowice School of Economics, Poland; dominika.ochnik@gwsh.pl
Eugenia Mandal
University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland
Do single women feel more physically attractive
than single men?
Body appearance self-esteem predictors in never-married single men and women
She’s hot and he’s not!
Background
Physical attractiveness plays a vital role in mate selection preference (Buss, 2015).
Studies show that women have a higher level of dissatisfaction with their body appearance
than men (Connor-Greene, 1988; Cash & Brown, 1989; Cash, Ancis, & Stachan, 1997),
although male body image concerns are strong as well and often unrecognized and
underestimated (Pope, Phillips, & Olivardia, 2000). Nevertheless, generally, men score
higher than women in Body Appearance that stands for self-esteem of physical
attractiveness (Fecenec, 2008).
Aim & Methods
The aim of the study was to explore conditions and predictors of Body Appearance in single
men and women. Body Appearance indicates self-esteem of physical appearance.
Participants
The study involved 196 never-married, childless, heterosexual, over 30 years old, and
currently not involved in a serious relationship men (N = 73; M, SDage = 33.71, 4.85) and
women (N = 123; M, SDage = 34.89, 6.24).
Measures
 Body Appearance subscale of The Multidimensional Self-Esteem Inventory MSEI
(O`Brien, Epstein, 1986),

 The Multidimensional Sexuality Questionnaire MSQ (Snell, 1993),
 The Satisfaction with Life Scale SWLS (Diener, Emmons, Larson, Griffin, 1985),
 Interpersonal Competence Questionnaire ICQ (Buhrmester, Furman, Wittenberg, Reis,
1988),
 Psychological Gender Inventory IPP (Polish adaptation of Bem Sex Role Inventory BSRI)
(Kuczyńska,1992).
Results
The study revealed distinctive conditions and predictors of body appearance in single
men and women.
Body Appearance in Single Women & Men
 Single men had lower body appearance self-esteem (M = 26.67, SD = 8.10) comparing to
single women (M = 31.98, SD = 8.84). The difference was significant, χ2(1, N = 196) =
20.55, p < .001. Sten score for single women was 6, that is considered as average,
whereas for single men it was 3, that stands for low level of self-esteem in physical
attractiveness. (Fig.1)
 Single men scored in Body Appearance lower comparing to both, men (M = 32,47.67, SD
= 6.06) and women (M =30.79, SD = 6.28) in normative group (Fecenec, 2008).
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
Body Appearance
Body Appearance in Single Women & Men
Single Women Single Men
Figure 1. Means of Body Appearance Scale in Single Women and Men

Conditions of self-perceived Body Appearance in Single Women & Men
 Men remaining single over 1 year experienced abrupt drop in the feeling of physical
attractiveness and felt the least attractive when remained single over 5 years. Single men
who had more than 2 previous long-term relationships felt more physically attractive
comparing to those who had none or 1 long-term relationship in the past.
 Reasons for being single mattered among single women. Women being single by chance
felt less attractive whilst women being single because of high expectations felt more
attractive.
 Body Appearance was not significantly differentiated by choice as a reason for being
single both in men and women (Tab.1)
Table 1
Kruskal-Wallis significance of differences analysis of Body Appearance as regards: previous long-term
relationships, period of remaining single, and reasons for being single: chance, choice, high
expectations in single women and men
Variable
Women
N = 123
Men
N = 73
χ2
df
χ2
df
Previous long-term relationshipsa
1.53
2
9.93**
1
Period of remaining singleb
1.14
4
12.11*
4
Reasons for being single:
Choice
0.60
1
0.80
1
Chance
5.60*
1
3.42
1
High expectations
4.22*
1
0.25
1
Note. a Scale from 1 to 3: 1-none, 2- two, 3 – more than two; b Scale from 1 to 5: 1– less than 6
months, 2 – 6 to12 months, 3 – 12 to 24 months, 4 – 2 to 5 years, 5 – over 5 years;
*p < .05, **p < .01

Predictors of self-perceived Body Appearance in Single Women & Men
Regression analysis revealed that the predictors of body appearance self-esteem differed in
single men and women.
SINGLE WOMEN
 The hierarchical regression analysis for predictors of Body Appearance among single
women was conducted in three steps (Step 1. F1,120= 36.16, p < .001, Step 2. F2,119 = 26.01,
p < .001, Step 3. F3,118 = 20.14, p < .001).
 The most important predictor was Initiating Relationships which uniquely explained 23%
of the variation in Body Appearance. Together the three independent variables: Initiating
Relationships, Sexual Anxiety, and Satisfaction with Life accounted for 34% of the
variance. High scores in Initiating Relationships and Satisfaction with Life and low scores
in Sexual Anxiety allowed to predict high self-esteem of physical attractiveness in single
women. (Tab. 2, Fig. 2)
Table 2
Results of hierarchical multiple regression analysis for variables predicting Body Appearance
in single women (N = 123)
Variables
B
SE B
β
t
R2
ΔR2
Step 1
Initiating Relationships
.70
.12
.48
6.01***
.23
.23***
Step2
Initiating Relationships
.52
.12
-.36
4.26***
.30
.07**
Sexual Anxiety
-.52
.15
-.30
-3.52**
Step 3
Initiating Relationships
.36
.13
.27
2.94**
.34
.03*
Sexual Anxiety
-.41
.15
-.23
-2.68**
Satisfaction with Life
.32
.13
.29
2.48*
Note.*p < .05, **p < .01, ***p < .001

Figure 2. Scatterplot of Regression standardized residuals of Body Appearance in single women
SINGLE MEN
 The hierarchical regression analysis for predictors of Body Appearance among single men
was conducted in two steps (Step 1. F1,71 = 24.68, p < .001, Step 2. F2,70 = 16.97, p < .001) In
single men group the predictors of body appearance self-esteem were: sexual depression
and psychological masculinity.
 Sexual Depression contributed significantly to the regression model and uniquely
explained 26% of the variation in Body Appearance in single men. Together with
Masculinity, both variables accounted for 33% of the variance.
 Low scores in Sexual Depression and Masculinity allowed to predict high scores in self-
esteem of physical attractiveness in single men. (Tab. 3, Fig. 3)

Table 3
Results of hierarchical multiple regression analysis for variables predicting Body Appearance
in single men (N = 73)
Variable
B
SE B
β
t
R2
ΔR2
Step 1
Sexual Depression
-.73
.15
-.51
-4.97***
.26
.26***
Step2
Sexual Depression
-.51
.16
-.35
-3.10**
.33
.07**
Masculinity
.21
.08
.30
2.67**
Note. **p < .01, ***p < .001
Figure 3. Scatterplot of regression standardized residuals of Body Appearance in single men

BODY
APPEARANCE
(Self-esteem of physical
appearance )
Conditions:
Previous long-term relationships
Being single over 1 year
Conditions:
Reasons for singlehood:
Chance
High expectations
WOMEN
MEN
Predictors:
SEXUAL DEPRESSION
MASCULINITY
Predictors:
INITIATING RELATIONSHIPS
SEXUAL ANXIETY
SATISFACTION WITH LIFE

Discussion
1. Single women felt more physically attractive than single men.
Unlike the results in general population, single men felt less attractive than single women.
While single women presented the same level of self-esteem in physical attractiveness as
women in general, single men perceived their attractiveness lower than single women, and
both men and women in general.
The lower self-esteem of physical attractiveness in never-married single men was related to
the lack of long-term (sexual) partner. It can be also predicted by the feelings of depression
regarding sexual life and lowered masculinity. Therefore, singlehood is threatening for
single men’s sexuality, hence their self-esteem of physical (sexual) attractiveness decreases
with the period of remaining single.
2. Distinctive predictors of self-esteem of physical appearance in single men and women
Conducted research showed that body appearance self-esteem plays a different role in
single men and women. Even though physical attractiveness is crucial for women in general,
the lack of long-term (sexual) partner did not affect females’ feeling of physical
attractiveness as in men. One of the explanation could be different meaning of sexual
activity for building self-esteem in femininity and masculinity. As research showed physical
(sexual) attractiveness was moderated by social skill as initiating relationships and global
assessment of satisfaction with life. Single women deals also with sexual anxiety that stands
for the tendency to feel tension, and discomfort about their sexual life, but sexuality was
only one of a few aspects. Hence, physical attractiveness in single women was based on
broad dimensions, whereas it was anchored directly to sexuality in case of single men.
In consequence the self-perception of physical attractiveness in single women did not
differ from women in general, whereas in single men did.
3. Reasons for women and remaining single for men – different conditions of physical
attractiveness
Different reasons for being single turned out to be significant in self-perception of physical
attractiveness for single women, whereas for single men the reasons were irrelevant. Single
women felt more physically attractive if they were single because of high expectations and

less if they were single by chance. Therefore, self-esteem of body appearance can be
positively shaped by the way of interpreting reasons for being single, but only in women.
Conclusions
1. Research showed that due to different challenges of masculinity and femininity, self-
perception of physical (sexual) attractiveness was differently moderated in single men
and women, as the lack of long-term (sexual) partner was more threatening to single
men’s sexuality than women’s.
2. In consequence never-married single men tend to assess their physical attractiveness
lower than single women.
3. The feeling of physical attractiveness was, besides sexuality, related to broader
dimensions in single women, whereas in single men to sexuality and masculinity
exclusively.
4. There can be indicated leads for practitioners working with single people. The
counseling should regard sex differences in single people. Psychological areas in single
men group should include:
 strengthening self-esteem of physical attractiveness,
 enhancing the feeling of masculinity, and
in single women group:
 deepening of self-awareness of the reason for singlehood, and
 enhancing interpersonal competence in initiating relationships.
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