Virtual Women Reveal More Skin, Regardless Of Body Proportions

The human tendency to cover up stems from climatic, environmental, physical and cultural constraints, so measuring people’s propensity to reveal skin can be difficult in the real world. To study human behavior free of at least some of these constraints, the researchers analyzed how male and female avatars in the virtual, 3- dimensional world of Second Life dressed. Second Life offers users options to choose the gender, appearance and attire of their virtual avatars, and users can select clothing from several items created in this virtual world, rather than being restricted to a predefined costume.

They found that out of over 400 virtual people studied, 71% of male avatars covered between 75-100% of their skin, while only 5% of females did. In contrast, 47% of the virtual females they studied covered between 25-49% of their skin, compared to 9% of males. The amount of skin covered was independent of traditional gender-specific measures of physical attractiveness for virtual avatars, such as waist-chest ratios for females. According to the study, “These findings have implications for understanding how sex specific aspects of skin disclosure influence human social interactions in both virtual and real settings.”

Guitton adds, “Virtual settings provide a unique tool to study human behavior unhindered by physical and environmental constraints.This tool enabled us to find a dramatic gender difference in the propensity to disclose naked skin.” 

Citation: Lomanowska AM, Guitton MJ (2012) Virtually Naked: Virtual Environment Reveals Sex-Dependent Nature of Skin Disclosure. PLoS ONE 7(12): e51921.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0051921

Contacts and sources:Jyoti Madhusoodanan Public Library of Science

More stories

Virtual Women Reveal More Skin, Regardless Of Body Proportions

Saber-Toothed Cats In California Were Not Driven To Extinction By Lack Of Food

This Page Will Blow Your Mind

Cars Of The Future Float Above The Ground Or Transform According To Mood Or Music

Video: UFO Follows Passenger Aircraft At Night From Houston Heading To Chicago 

Astronauts See Angels

Alien Crash at Roswell, Shocking Revelations about the UFO and Alien Cover-up! Official Trailer 

Spaceman Rock Painting Found in The North-West Kimberley Region, W. Australia 1891

Is This A CIA Navy Seal Time Traveling Disclosure? Warning For February 15, 2013

Cars Of The Future Float Above The Ground Or Transform According To Mood Or Music

Video: UFO Follows Passenger Aircraft At Night From Houston Heading To Chicago 

Astronauts See Angels

Alien Crash at Roswell, Shocking Revelations about the UFO and Alien Cover-up! Official Trailer 

Spaceman Rock Painting Found in The North-West Kimberley Region, W. Australia 1891

Is This A CIA Navy Seal Time Traveling Disclosure? Warning For February 15, 2013

Flexible, Light Solar Cells Of Graphene Could Provide New Opportunities

Petition To Deport Piers Morgan Reaches More Than 52,000 Signatures in 3 Days 

Military Going Over The Fiscal Cliff: Panetta Memo Describes Implications 

Chinese Teen With Vampire Fangs, Result Of Rare Disease

Colorado River Shrinking, 10% Drop In Volume Projected

 Giant Mothership UFO Caught On NASA/SOHO Sun Images, Dec 20, 2012.

New Data Challenge Old Views About Evolution Of Early Life

Giant Cube Recorded By NASA, Bigger Than Earth, Near Sun On Dec 21st & 23rd. NASA Source, Alien Cube First Seen In 2011

Video: Celestial Apparition Stuns Hikers

Astronomers Flabbergasted By Giant Object, Never Seen Before 

Arctic Hurricanes Are Coming

Astounding Discovery In Mexico: 13 Individuals With Elongated Skulls Stun Archaeologists, Never Seen Before In Region 

Cigar UFO Video From Plane, Very Clear 
Cop Conducts Shocking Cavity Search On Two Women, Video