Self-assessment of attractiveness of persons with body decoration

Tattoos and body piercing are forms of body decoration that have been known for ages. The use of such ornamentation is becoming more and more common. Researchers attempt to explain the meaning of this phenomenon within the discipline of behavioural ecology, attributing a sexual selection aspect to body decoration, and thus interpreting it in an evolutionary sense. The hypothesis that superior biological quality of individuals is indicated by body modification is becoming more and more popular. In the present study, this hypothesis is tested on the basis of physical attractiveness as an indicator of genotype quality. The total of 64 males and 52 females with tattoos and body piercings were subjected to tests consisting of the self-assessment of the attractiveness of their bodies. The control group comprised 86 subjects (38 males and 48 females) without body decoration. The results confirm that both women and men with body decoration assess the attractiveness of different parts of their bodies higher (regardless whether the decoration is located there or not) than people without tattoos and body piercing. Thus, the hypothesis has been confirmed that body decoration is a signal of superior biological quality of individuals. (c) 2013 Published by Elsevier GmbH.