DLSU Senior High School Research Congress Conference Proceedings
Document Type
Paper Presentation
Research Advisor (Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial)
Astudillo, Liezl R.
Abstract/Executive Summary
This study examines how Filipino women evaluate physical attractiveness, likeability, and social competence based on variations in skin color and body build, traits shaped by colonial legacies and reinforced by contemporary media. A 2×2 factorial experimental design was used, involving 180 female college students (ages 18–24), who rated target images that varied by skin color (light vs. dark) and body build (slim vs. large). While neither skin color nor body build alone had a significant main effect on perceptions of attractiveness, a significant interaction emerged: slim, dark-skinned individuals were rated more attractive than their light-skinned counterparts, whereas light-skinned individuals were preferred within the large body type. The lowest attractiveness ratings were given to large, dark-skinned women, highlighting the compounded effects of colorism and sizeism. Perceptions of likeability and social competence showed similar interaction patterns. Qualitative findings revealed that media exposure and internalized beauty standards heavily influenced participants’ evaluations, often reinforcing narrow ideals. These results underscore the importance of intersectional, culturally grounded understandings of beauty and social judgment. The study contributes to addressing gaps in the literature on Filipino women’s evaluative processes and calls for broader representation of body and skin diversity to challenge discriminatory beauty norms.
Keywords
body build; colorism; intersectionality; sizeism; skin color