Body build perceptions in male and female college students

The Somatotype Rating Scale (SRS) was administered to 35 male and 35 female college students. The SRS allowed particiapnts to rate their own body build, their ideal body build, and the body build of the typical and ideal male and female. While there was close agreement between males and females on the measures, females exhibited more dissatisfaction with their body build and greater congruency between their self-concept and their same-sex stereotype than did males. Results were discussed as possibly revealing the emergence of a mesomorphic body build ideal in both sexes.