Do men hold African American and White American women to different standards of beauty?

The present study examined racial differences in men's preferences for African American and White American women's body size and shape and whether men held these women to different standards of beauty. Contrary to expectations, African American men did not choose heavier female figures as ideal. There was a slight trend for African American men, however, to choose a lower WHR (more curvaceous) figure as ideal. The study's findings suggest that African American men and White American men of various backgrounds and socioeconomic levels are more similar than different in their preferences for female weight. Preferences for WHR appear to be a cultural variant in which a subset of African American men preferred a lower WHR than their White American counterparts.