Work

Getting Ready for the Marriage Market? the Association Between Divorce Risks and Investments in Attractive Body Mass Among Married Europeans

Year: 2006

Type: article

Abstract: This article explores to what extent married middle-aged individuals in Europe are governed by the risk of experiencing divorce, when shaping their physical appearance. The main result is that divorce risks, proxied by national divorce rates, are negatively connected to body mass index (BMI) among married individuals but unrelated to BMI among singles. Hence, it seems that married people in societies where divorce risks are high are more inclined to invest in their outer appearance. One interpretation is that high divorce rates make married people prepare for a potential divorce and future return to the marriage market.

Source: Journal of Biosocial Science

DOI: 10.1017/s0021932006001611

Authors: PETTER LUNDBORG, PAUL NYSTEDT, BJÖRN LINDGREN

Institutions: Lund University, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Linköping University

Language: English

Topic: Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior

Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green