Social Perception of Bodybuilders

Abstract

Engaging in bodybuilding, especially by a woman, may have a pervasive influence on the impressions others have of the bodybuilder. The first experiment examined the effects of the label bodybuilder on subjects' ratings of the probability that the stimulus person possessed gender-related characteristics. The second experiment was designed to determine whether female bodybuilders, compared to attractive and unattractive female nonbodybuilders, are (a) assumed to possess less socially desirable personality traits, (b) expected to lead less successful lives, and (c) viewed as less physically attractive. Results indicate that bodybuilding information plays a dominant role in influencing judgments. Stimulus persons who engage in bodybuilding are judged to be more likely to perform masculine role behaviors and less likely to be employed in feminine occupations, irrespective of gender. Female bodybuilders are viewed as relatively unattractive and are attributed with less desirable personality traits than are attractive female nonbodybuilders. The significance of these findings in understanding the perpetuation of stereotypes is discussed.

Perceptions of the Social and Personal Characteristics of Hypermuscular Women and of the Men Who Love Them

“…In addition, they are seen as less likely to engage in mild socially deviant behaviors, much less likely to cheat on their boyfriends, and much less likely to be sexually manipulative or dishonest. Taken as a whole, our results indicate that college men and women perceive hypermuscular women as (Freeman, 1988;Ryckman et al, 1992), but consistent with some feminist theorists (e.g., Lowe, 1998;Shea, 2001), we found, in the present research, important gender differences in perceptions of hypermuscular women. In addition to gender differences in perceptions of the hypermuscular woman's gender role, gender interests, and heterosexuality, we found substantial gender differences in her perceived personality.…”

“…For example, Ryckman, Dill, Dyer, Sanborn, and Gold (1992) found that female bodybuilders were perceived as less feminine and as having fewer socially desirable traits than were other women. Similarly, Freeman (1988) found that female bodybuilders were perceived as more likely to be homosexual, as less sexually attractive, and as having fewer socially desirable characteristics. Often commentators and critics have marginalized and demeaned female bodybuilders by describing them as grotesque freaks, he-shes, and worse (Castelnuova & Guthrie, 1998;Heywood, 1998;Ian, 2001).…”

“…Freeman (1988) found that these women were perceived as less likely to be employed in traditional female occupations, less competent as mothers, and less likely to have successful marriages. However, female bodybuilders were not perceived as having fewer traditional feminine traits or more traditional masculine ones.…”

“…We chose these categories and the measures within them to reflect a range of social variables on which gender role differences are known or might reasonably be expected to occur. These variables were selected from previous research (e.g., Freeman, 1988;Ryckman et al, 1992), observations of feminist authors (e.g., Lowe, 1998;Steinem, 1994), and histories of female bodybuilding (e.g., Heywood, 1998;Wennerstrom, 1999). To obtain a perspective based on modern personality research, in the present study we also obtained ratings on the Big 5 personality factors.…”

Muscle matters: maintaining visible differences between women and men

“…The debates and tensions surrounding the female bodybuilder are an exemplary illustration of the significance of muscularity as masculine. Female bodybuilders are commonly considered to be masculine and unattractive (see Freeman 1988;Pugh 1993) and this paper has shown how this is also the case even in the bodybuilding world where the aim of the sport is to build muscle. Female, but not male, bodybuilders muscularity is restricted demonstrating the extent of the gendered nature of muscularity and how this overrides the aim of the sport.…”