Sexy walking: Cunning Little Eve

Recently published in the New Scientist magazine and Journal Archives of Sexual Behavior was a study to determine a sexy walk. Researchers at Queen's University, Ontario, examined the walking styles of volunteers then matched these to the levels of sex hormones in their saliva. They discovered the female subjects with the more alluring walks were the furthest away from ovulation. One potential explanation given is women condition themselves to disguise their fertility to deter unsuitable partners. One common belief is women give a wide variety of subtle signals to men to indicate they are ready to conceive and the researchers assumed a "sexy", hip-swinging gait would be such a signal. Forty (40) males were shown video clips of females walking then asked to rate the attractiveness of the way the women walked. Scientists then tested hormone levels in the women volunteers to match the sexy walk rating with hormones. The experiment was then repeated with another group of male viewers. When it was established women, most fertile at the time of the experiment walked with fewer hip movements and with their knees closer together researchers explained this as suggesting ovulating women want to conceal their physiological situation from males by adopting a sexier walk. This is an interesting piece of work but the authors have made some sweeping assumptions. Usually what is termed a 'sexy walk' is akin to Trendelberg's gait and some anthropologists consider this to hold the attention of primal predators who observe the individual as vulnerable. In some this may trigger a sexual response in others they see physical vulnerability, and others an attraction to protect the individual. All in the eye of the beholder. To that effect it would be useful to know how the men were selected and whether this screening was taken into consideration. Research has also shown when males are exposed to ' sexy pictures" (overt or subliminal) they will describe whatever is presented next, no matter how innocent, as being sensual in some way. If the men were given examples of a sexy walk prior to the experiment this may have added bias. Associated abdominal discomfort may in part account for conscious gait changes in the subjects and since in many primitive societies’ women (including married women in non Christian society) would be confined for the time of menses. So the statement, "it would make sense for them to advertise attractiveness on a broad scale when they are not fertile." would be difficult to support, anthropologically. It may be however infer women from the group of subjects have opted to disguise their physiological circumstance in order to participate in the study. To that end it would be most informative to be aware of subject selection process and preparation.