If you feel pressure to look attractive then you had a
fear of rejection
New research says that Pressure to Look Attractive Linked
to Fear of Rejection in Men and Women.
People who feel pressure to look attractive are had fear
of rejection by others because of their appearance than are their peers,
according to a new study by researchers at the University at Buffalo and the
University of Kent.
The study of appearance-based rejection sensitivity among
college students was conducted by Lora Park, Ph.D., assistant professor of
psychology and graduate student Ann Marie DiRaddo, of the University at
Buffalo, and Rachel Calogero, Ph.D., a lecturer in psychology at the University
of Kent.
It was published in the spring edition of Psychology of
Women Quarterly (Vo. 33, Issue 1), a publication of the American Psychological
Association.
The researchers found that overall women showed greater
sensitivity to appearance rejection than did men. This was particularly true of
women who felt they needed to look attractive in order to be accepted by their
peers. The study also found that men and women who had internalized media
ideals of attractiveness had higher levels of appearance-based rejection
sensitivity than did their peers.
No relationship was found between parents' perceptions of
attractiveness and study participants' increased sensitivity to
appearance-based rejection. Thus, peer and media influences, rather than
parental influence, play a key role in appearance-based rejection sensitivity.
"There is a lot of research to suggest that
physically attractive people are less stigmatized by others in this society,
and have significant advantages in many areas of life than those who are viewed
as physically unattractive," Park says.
"Our study suggests that when people feel pressure
to look attractive, whether from their friends or the media, they may be
putting themselves at risk for experiencing negative outcomes that may limit
their development and enjoyment of life in many ways."
Indeed, previous research by Park found that
appearance-based rejection sensitivity is related to negative mental and
physical health outcomes, such as feeling unattractive, feeling badly about
oneself when comparing one's appearance with others, feeling lonely and
rejected when thinking about disliked aspects of one's appearance, and showing
increased risk for eating disorders.
The study sample consisted of 220 (106 women, 114 men)
U.S. college students ranging from 18 to 33 years of age. Participants
responded to a series of questionnaires, including scales that assessed the
perceived influence of peers and parents on sensitivity to appearance-based
rejection, and the Sociocultural Attitudes Toward Appearance Scale-3, which
assesses dimensions of media influence related to body image and appearance.
These results were found even after controlling for
people's self-esteem, self-perceived attractiveness and sensitivity to
rejection in general.
Although the current study focused on a predominantly
young, white college-age sample, Park says future research should investigate
appearance-based rejection sensitivity across diverse age and ethnic groups, in
order to better understand its prevalence and to examine how it might be
reduced.
Image Source: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1195321
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