Each summer, the scenario is repeated: crowded beaches, skins heated by the sun and this assumed desire to come back from vacation with a tanned complexion. However, behind this aesthetic research, a recent study published in Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences highlights a surprising link between the attraction for tanning and the perception that women have of themselves, despite the well-known dangers of UV.
An indicator of attraction and rivalry
Researchers have conducted two experiences with heterosexual women living in the United Kingdom to understand how the image you have of self-influences voluntary exposure to the sun. The first study, carried out on 93 participants, evaluated their tanning habits, their perception of themselves as potential partners and their rivalry with other women. The results show that those who consider themselves more attractive are less inclined to expose themselves to the sun for a long time to improve their appearance. Conversely, those who see themselves as less attractive are more likely to multiply the tanning sessions.
The time spent in the sun, a revealer
To confirm these observations, a second study was conducted with 193 participants, this time by measuring the number of days spent in the sun in order to sunbathe. The data have confirmed the trend: the more unattractive a woman perceives himself, the more time she spends to be voluntarily exposed. Researchers also emphasize that intrasexual rivalry, that is to say competition between women to seduce a partner, plays a notable role in this behavior.
Between desire to please and health risks
These results highlight that the desire to seduce and competition between women can push to adopt dangerous health practices, such as prolonged sun exposure. Researchers recall that people obtaining a high score in intrasexual rivalry are also those that take the most sunbathing, thus increasing their exposure to the risk of skin cancer or insolation. According to them, understanding these motivations could help to design more effective prevention campaigns, integrating both physical dangers and psychological factors. They believe that an enlargement of the study at other age groups and all sexual orientations would allow these strategies to be referred.