Women: do you exclude other women from your social group if they have visibly erect nipples? Do you do a quick nipple inspection first? Coat open, little tweak? Do you control for winter? Evolutionary psychology wants to know.
New psychology study shows how erect nipples can alter perceptions of women
New psychology study shows how erect nipples can alter perceptions of women
New research suggests that men — but not women — perceive nipple erection in women as a signal of sexual arousal. But the study, published in Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences, found that both genders project positive emotions onto women with visibly erect nipples, compared to the same women without visibly erect nipples.
Burch, R. L., & Widman, D. R. (2020). The point of nipple erection 1: The experience and projection of perceived emotional states while viewing women with and without erect nipples. Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences. Advance online publication. APA PsycNet
To determine whether female nipple erection is perceived as a sign of sexual arousal or interest, male and female participants were asked to rate photos of real women with and without salient nipple erection on a series of 16 emotional and physiological states, including positive, negative, and sexually aroused states. Nipple erection salience was rated by independent raters, and faces in photos were obscured to prevent discerning emotional states from facial cues. Men clearly projected more sexy and positive emotions onto the stimuli when the stimuli displayed erect nipples. Whereas women did project more positive emotions with erect nipples, they did not differ in their expression of sexy. We also observed that men’s self-ratings of sexy and positive emotions were the same as their ratings of the stimuli. Women, however, reported significantly less sexy and positive emotions for themselves relative to the stimuli.
Burch, R. L., & Widman, D. R. (2021). The point of nipple erection 2: The effect of nipple erection on intended and expected altruism. Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences. Advance online publication. APA PsycNet
Previous research has shown that men perceive nipple erection as signaling more sexually receptive states. This study intended to determine if this perception changed male hypothetical behavior. For example, would men be more willing to assist women with nipple erection as opposed to those without? Participants were asked to rate pictures of women with and without salient nipple erection (faces were obscured to prevent discerning emotional states). Men perceived women with nipple erection as more deserving of altruism, especially if that altruism involved greater interaction with the woman, and they expected these same women to behave more altruistically toward them. They also believed the women with erect nipples should be included in their social groups. Women, on the other hand, did not perceive them as deserving of greater altruistic behaviors, did not expect greater altruistic behaviors from them, and did not want to include them into their social groups.
New psychology study shows how erect nipples can alter perceptions of women
New psychology study shows how erect nipples can alter perceptions of women
New research suggests that men — but not women — perceive nipple erection in women as a signal of sexual arousal. But the study, published in Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences, found that both genders project positive emotions onto women with visibly erect nipples, compared to the same women without visibly erect nipples.
Burch, R. L., & Widman, D. R. (2020). The point of nipple erection 1: The experience and projection of perceived emotional states while viewing women with and without erect nipples. Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences. Advance online publication. APA PsycNet
To determine whether female nipple erection is perceived as a sign of sexual arousal or interest, male and female participants were asked to rate photos of real women with and without salient nipple erection on a series of 16 emotional and physiological states, including positive, negative, and sexually aroused states. Nipple erection salience was rated by independent raters, and faces in photos were obscured to prevent discerning emotional states from facial cues. Men clearly projected more sexy and positive emotions onto the stimuli when the stimuli displayed erect nipples. Whereas women did project more positive emotions with erect nipples, they did not differ in their expression of sexy. We also observed that men’s self-ratings of sexy and positive emotions were the same as their ratings of the stimuli. Women, however, reported significantly less sexy and positive emotions for themselves relative to the stimuli.
Burch, R. L., & Widman, D. R. (2021). The point of nipple erection 2: The effect of nipple erection on intended and expected altruism. Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences. Advance online publication. APA PsycNet
Previous research has shown that men perceive nipple erection as signaling more sexually receptive states. This study intended to determine if this perception changed male hypothetical behavior. For example, would men be more willing to assist women with nipple erection as opposed to those without? Participants were asked to rate pictures of women with and without salient nipple erection (faces were obscured to prevent discerning emotional states). Men perceived women with nipple erection as more deserving of altruism, especially if that altruism involved greater interaction with the woman, and they expected these same women to behave more altruistically toward them. They also believed the women with erect nipples should be included in their social groups. Women, on the other hand, did not perceive them as deserving of greater altruistic behaviors, did not expect greater altruistic behaviors from them, and did not want to include them into their social groups.
