The point of nipple erection 5: Perception of female nipple erection by a Western European sample
Publication Date
2024
Description
Prior research in U.S. samples found that female nipple erection is seen as an indication of sexual interest and arousal. Men responded to women displaying nipple erection with typical signs of sexual objectification and a sexual overperception bias. Women appeared to do the same, but rather than desiring to get closer to the women with erect nipples, they wanted to withdraw from them. The purpose of the present study is to replicate these findings in a sample where the exposure of the female breast and nipple is less socially taboo. Using the same images and questions as previous studies, we collected a Western European (WE) sample as there is evidence that WEs are more tolerant of public female breast exposure. Results indicated that the WEs do not perceive female nipple erection the same as the U.S. samples. They do not seem to perceive it as a sexual signal nor do they show the typical responses indicating a sexual overperception bias. This cultural difference in the perception of nipple erection is presumed to be due to the more frequent exposure of female breasts in nonsexual contexts.
Journal
Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences
Department
Psychology
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1037/ebs0000353
Recommended Citation
Widman, David; Burch, Rebecca; and Wade, T. Joel. "The point of nipple erection 5: Perception of female nipple erection by a Western European sample." (2024) .
