A new study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior suggests that men’s attraction to female breasts may stem from biological factors, not modesty norms.
Researchers studied 80 Dani men from Papua, Indonesia—40 older men who grew up during a time of public toplessness and 40 younger men raised after breast covering became the norm.
“Both groups reported similar levels of arousal, breast-touching during sex, and breast-based attraction,” the authors wrote, challenging the idea that cultural exposure drives breast sexualization.
They propose that breast features may signal youth and fertility. “This may explain the universal male interest,” they noted, linking it to evolutionary cues like estradiol levels and body fat.
However, cultural influences aren’t dismissed. The authors argue, “Culture may amplify, not create, this attraction.”
Limitations include recall bias and self-reported data. Still, the research points to biological underpinnings of attraction beyond Western norms.
The study was led by Stefanczyk, Sorokowski, Roberts, and Żelaźniewicz.