The choice of the leotard – influence of clothing on performance judgments and aesthetic perception

Seiter, Lisa (author), Will, Laura (author)

This study examines whether the type of leotard worn by female gymnasts affects judges' performance evaluations and aesthetic perceptions. In light of the ongoing debate on sexism in sport and athletes' autonomy over attire, the study compares traditional leotards with leg-covering unitards. Drawing on theories of cognitive bias and social information processing, it explores how expectations and stereotypes may influence judgments. In eight videos, gymnastics judges (N = 31) with varying judging experience and expertise rated the performance quality and aesthetic perception of the same gymnastic sequence performed by four gymnasts in two clothing conditions (i.e., 4 x 2). Results show no significant bias in judgments based on the type of leotard worn, regardless of age, judging experience, or expertise. The absence of judgment differences supports the view that allowing athletes to wear leg-covering unitards may not disadvantage them in competitions.

• Language: English
• Keywords: sport, artistic gymnastics, leotard, aesthetic judgement, performance, bias, judge bias
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FŠ - Faculty of Sport
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 491-503, 511
• Numbering: Vol. 17, iss. 3
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-183727
• UDC: 796.41
• ISSN on article: 1855-7171
• DOI: 10.52165/sgj.17.3.491-503
• COBISS.SI-ID: 274429187

Copyright

Podatek o licenci CC BY-SA 4.0 je naveden na pristajalni strani članka (glej zgoraj izvorni URL). (Datum opombe: 18. 6. 2026)

• Publication date in RUL: 18.06.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Science of gymnastics journal
• Publisher: University of Ljubljana Press, Slovenia (Založba Univerze v Ljubljani)
• ISSN: 1855-7171
• COBISS.SI-ID: 246418176

Licences

• License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Description: This Creative Commons license is very similar to the regular Attribution license, but requires the release of all derivative works under this same license.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Vpliv izbire oblačila na ocenjevanje izvedbe in dojemanje lepote

Abstract

Raziskava proučuje, ali vrsta dresa, ki ga nosijo telovadke, vpliva na sodniške ocene izvedbe in dojemanje lepote. Ob razpravi o spolni pristranskosti v športu ter o samostojnem odločanju športnic o oblačilih študija primerja klasični tekmovalni dres z enodelnim dresom, ki pokriva noge (dres z dolgimi hlačnicami). Izhajajoč iz teorij o miselnih pristranskostih in obdelavi družbenih podatkov raziskava preučuje, kako pričakovanja in stereotipi lahko vplivajo na presojo. V osmih videoposnetkih so telovadni sodniki in sodnice (N = 31) z različno dolgo sodniško izkušnjo in znanjem ocenjevali kakovost izvedbe in lepotno dojemanje iste telovadne sestave, ki so jo izvedle štiri telovadke v dveh oblačilnih različicah (4 × 2). Rezultati kažejo, da glede na vrsto dresa ni bilo značilne pristranskosti v ocenah, ne glede na starost, izkušnje ali strokovnost sodnikov. Odsotnost razlik v ocenah podpira stališče, da dovolitev nošenja dresov z dolgimi hlačnicami telovadk na tekmovanju ne postavlja v slabši položaj.

• Keywords: šport, gimnastika, telovadna oblačila, lepotna presoja, nastop, pristranskost