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A large number of studies on the significance of women’s bust size to men’s solicitation have consistently revealed that men find women with larger breasts than average to be more physically attractive. It is a factthat straight men, and a fraction of women, idolize big breasts.
This truth is corroborated by the millions of dollars spent by women on breast enlargement creams, pumps and pills, breast augmentation procedures (check gallery), and breast implants.
The amount of energy, emotion, time and money that go into breast augmentation is a reflection of the significant role that big breasts play in society and culture.
But what is it about the psychology of men that draws them towards women with big breasts?
Do all Men Perceive Big Breasted Women as Beautiful and Attractive?
The standard of what is beautiful and attractive, and what is not, is defined by each culture. For instance, studies suggest that the North American culture idolizes tall, slender women with big breasts, while South Americans find pert and round buttocks to be more attractive features in their women.
The big breasted women that many men find attractive today were considered low-class in the 16th century. Later, in the 18th century, carrying greater weight than average was considered a sign of wealth, but the women still had fairly small breasts: a modest B cup.
The preference for small and fairly large breasts was also evident in Roman and ancient Greek society, since the sculptors did not wish to exaggerate the cleavage of the sculptures of Venus/Aphrodite, the goddess of love.
Considering that society and culture have a role to play in determining what is beautiful and attractive, does evolutionary science make a significant contribution to the preference for big breasts by some men?
Men’s Fascination with Big Breasts from an Evolutionary point of View
Sources for research:
- http://www.livescience.com/23500-why-men-love-breasts.html
- http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/81758
- http://michaelsiegel.net/?tag=evolutionary-psychology
- http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/all-about-sex/201306/boobs-mens-complex-feelings-about-womens-breasts
Over the years, different scientists specializing in evolutionary psychology have sought scientific answers to explain the attraction to big breasts. Some of the theories that have been proposed include:
- Proper feeding mechanism for babies
- High body fat percentage, which is an indication of better nursing
- The resemblance of breasts to buttocks
- Symbol of fertility, when they swell during ovulation
- Socialization, which is associated with breast fetishism
According to some evolutionary biologists, most of the physical traits that human beings find attractive are associated with genes. These scientists argue that one of the most important factors for animal survival, including humans, is choosing the right mating partner.
As a result, genes of human beings have evolved to assist in the selection process. Scientists argue that men are subconsciously attracted to indicators of good health such as proper nutrition, general fitness, and absence of disease, which has contributed to the development of the theories proposed above.
A study conducted to investigate men’s behavior based on the size of a woman’s bust used one woman posing as a hitchhiker to see how many males were willing to offer her a ride. Using latex leaf to increase the size of her breasts, it was observed that more men were willing to offer her a ride when her breasts were bigger.
A similar result was observed when the same lady used temporary breast enhancements to change the size of her breasts, in a bar setting. More men offered her company when her breasts were larger, compared to when they were smaller.
Both studies concluded that men were more attracted to women who showed higher sexual intent, which in this case, was determined by the size of her bust. From a socio-evolutionary perspective, the studies claimed that men hold in high regard the physical attractiveness of a mate, and most men perceive large breasts as physically attractive.
In addition, the study proposed that men’s attraction to women with large breasts was drawn from a psychological point of view. One of the key elements of evolution was survival, and the male felt the relentless need to exert dominance by disseminating his genes. Based on this line of reasoning, men may have perceived large breasts as a sign of high fertility, to increase the chances of gene transmission.
While these theories seek to explain the fixation of men to large breasts, some scientists have sought to seek deeper understanding of the male fascination with just breasts.
One such scientist is Larry Young, a neuroscientist and professor of psychiatry at Emory University.
According to Young, human evolution resulted in the emergence of an early neural circuit that had initially evolved in order to enhance the bond between mother and infant during breast-feeding.
This brain circuitry is now used to amplify the bond between men and women in a relationship. In other words, the attraction for men to breasts is similar to the fixation of babies to breasts.
Scientists suggest that the stimulation of a woman’s nipplesduring breast feeding causes the release of neurochemical ocytocin or “lovedrug”.
This substance fills a woman’s brain, and helps her to redirect heraffection and attention to the suckling infant. However, studies on thisphenomenon found that the circuitry is not only functional for mothers andinfants, but also for women and their sexual partners.
Recent studies suggest that the stimulation of nipples improves sexual arousal in many women, and impacts similar brain regions to clitorial and vaginal stimulation.
As such, Young suggests that stimulating a woman’s breasts causes the release of oxytoxin in a similar manner to breastfeeding, and just like a mother feels drawn to her infant, the aroused woman feels strongly attracted to her sexual partner.
According to Young, evolution has caused men to focus their attention to women’s breasts, since they hold the key to making them more desirable to the woman, upon stimulation. The attraction to breasts in straight males is an organization effect of the brain that occurs during puberty.
The fact that stimulating a woman’s breasts causes the female bonding circuit to activate, resulting in a strong desire and attraction towards the man, is a phenomenon that has been engraved in male psychology through evolution.
Some arguments were raised regarding this theory, claiming that evolution should have occurred to all breast-feeding mammals, just like it happened for human beings. In response, Young stated that the brain’s organization effect was facilitated by man’s monogamous relationships, which is not the case for about 97% of mammals.
In addition, the effect could have been facilitated by man’s ability to stand upright, and copulate while facing each other, which is not the case for other mammals, including primates.
In conclusion, all theories on the fixation of men to large breasts tend to point to the fact that the brain controls what is perceived as attractive. Large breasts stand out, and the brain finds it easy to distinguish between male and female from a simple observation of the bust.
Most men find it easy to relate to women with such a strong feminine trait; hence, the attraction to such women. Attraction for men is driven by the feature that brings out a woman’s femininity, and for most men, it is big breasts.
What do you say, men?
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I disagree with the author. Other studies show that it may be the bust to waist ratio (regardless of breast size) that men prefer; or that "sexist" men prefer larger breasts (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/01/sexist-men-big-boobs-breast-size-study_n_2792287.html); and even a study from Florida that shows that men tend to rate women lower on a professional scale if they have either larger or smaller breasts (the proportionate evolutionary theory). Also oxytocin is the chemical both men and women release upon orgasm; it's not just exclusive to women (although an important part of the bonding process often attributed to breastfeeding alone; it's what kicks in the "let-down" of milk). There's not enough real science on breast size differences to assume that the majority of men prefer one size over another. Gay men love breasts too! There's even one study that showed that women tend to overestimate the size of breasts that men prefer. And how does one arrive at "bigger?" On what body frame or height? Some studies have used surveys with stick figures, which make no sense. It could be that the "fullness" of breasts is actually more attractive than size (indicating ovulation). So many questions about breasts, and very few answers.
September 26, 2013 - 3:53pmThis Comment