The formation of status hierarchies in leaderless groups : The role of male waist-to-hip ratio

Lorne Campbell; Jeffry A Simpson; Mark Stewart; John G Manning

doi:10.1007/s12110-002-1019-0

The formation of status hierarchies in leaderless groups : The role of male waist-to-hip ratio

Hum Nat. 2002 Sep;13(3):345-62. doi: 10.1007/s12110-002-1019-0.

Authors

Lorne Campbell¹, Jeffry A Simpson², Mark Stewart², John G Manning²

Affiliations

¹ Simon Fraser University, USA. lcampb23@uwo.ca.
² Texas A&M University, USA.

PMID: 26192927
DOI: 10.1007/s12110-002-1019-0

Abstract

Two studies examined the link between social dominance and male waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). Groups of four men interacted in a leaderless group discussion. In both studies, men with higher WHRs (associated with current and long-term health status) were rated by other group members as behaving more leader-like when an observer was present, and rated themselves as being more assertive. In Study 2, men with higher WHRs were rated by independent observers as behaving more dominantly, but only when the evaluator was present. These results are discussed in terms of evolutionary models of health, attraction, and intrasexual competition.

Keywords: Evolutionary psychology; Intrasexual competition; Leadership; Social dominance; Waist-to-hip ratio.