Lordosis Posture (Arching the Back) Indicates Sexual Receptivity in Women

Abstract

Objectives

Human females may attract men and solicit their approach through different nonverbal displays and signals. In many non-human animals, a lordosis posture in a female is a reliable signal of sexual receptivity. Recently, it has been argued that this posture is linked to a similar signal between men and women. The current research across three investigations aimed to test the predictions arising from the sexual receptivity hypothesis of lordosis posture.

Methods

Using realistic 3D generated stimuli, both men and women viewed women’s arched back postures in standing, supine and quadruped poses (Studies 1 and 2) and were asked to rate them for perceived sexual receptivity. In Study 3, a male model was used.

Results

In Study 1 we tested whether the arched back posture in women is an indicator of sexual receptivity. Results showed that both men and women associated increases in the arch of the back with higher sexual receptivity in women. Study 2 predicted and confirmed that sexual receptivity is also perceived from non-standing postures, namely supine and quadruped poses. Study 3 tested the prediction that the perception of sexual receptivity is specific to the posture being adopted by women.

Conclusion

Collectively this research provides support for the sexual receptivity hypothesis of lordosis posture by showing that sexual receptivity is perceived by an increase in the arch of the back (Study 1), it is perceived as sexually receptive irrespective of the body posture (Study 2), and this is specific to women (Study 3).