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Lăzărescu GM, Vintilă M. The relationship between personality traits and willingness to undergo cosmetic surgery in the non-clinical population - a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1241952. [PMID: 37744591 PMCID: PMC10514507 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1241952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis to synthesize previously obtained results regarding the relationship between interest in cosmetic surgery and personality traits. Methodology A series of criteria were applied (at the level of design, independent variables, dependent variable, participants) in order to decide which existing studies could be considered eligible for inclusion in the meta-analytic procedure. The identification of research that met the eligibility criteria was carried out with the help of the electronic search function in the following databases: ScienceDirect, PsycInfo, Web of Science, Scopus, Springer, and PubMed. Following this approach left 13 studies that were then subjected to the final analysis and included in the meta-analysis. Results The researchers' expectations were partially supported by the results of the analyses, thus demonstrating the existence of a significant relationship between perfectionism (socially prescribed perfectionism; perfectionistic self-promotion), appearance-based rejection sensitivity, and interest in pursuing esthetic surgery. Discussions Identifying these relationships will allow cosmetic surgeons to understand both the mechanisms underlying this decision and the need for psychological assessment/counseling before patients undergo such procedures. It will also allow psychologists to develop best practice guidelines for how they relate to the patient before they perform cosmetic surgery. At the same time, psychotherapists will be able to devise targeted and personalized interventions for each personality profile, so that the decision to undergo an esthetic operation is not made based on a dispositional trait (fear of rejection, stress caused by body dissatisfaction).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mona Vintilă
- Faculty of Sociology and Psychology, West University of Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania
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2
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Niimi R, Goto M. Good conduct makes your face attractive: The effect of personality perception on facial attractiveness judgments. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0281758. [PMID: 36780462 PMCID: PMC9925008 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Human facial attractiveness is related to physical features, such as clear complexion and symmetry. However, it is also known that facial attractiveness judgments are influenced by a wide range of non-physical factors. Here, we examined the effect of the personality information of a target person on facial attractiveness judgments. In Experiment 1, participants read a verbal description of a target person (high or low honesty), followed by the presentation of the target face and facial attractiveness rating. The honest personality increased the rated facial attractiveness, replicating a previous report. This "honesty premium" effect was independent of pre-rated facial attractiveness (Experiment 1), target gender, participant gender, and target clothing (Experiment 2). Experiment 3 found that creative personality did not affect facial attractiveness ratings, while an aggressive personality was suggested to decrease the rated facial attractiveness of male targets. We did not find evidence that participants' moods caused these effects. The results suggest that the "what is good is beautiful" stereotype is robust and that facial attractiveness is malleable and dependent on various physical and non-physical information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryosuke Niimi
- Faculty of Humanities, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
- * E-mail:
| | - Mami Goto
- Faculty of Humanities, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
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3
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Spielmann SS, Gahman KP. Detectability and desirability of fear of being single in online dating profiles. J Pers 2020; 89:531-548. [PMID: 33000473 DOI: 10.1111/jopy.12597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Those who fear being single generally do not have difficulty attracting prospective partners. The present research explores whether this is because daters cannot detect fear of being single, or because detected fear of being single does not hinder desirability. METHOD In Study 1 (N = 235, 60% women, Mage = 36.9), participants created dating profiles then rated the desirability of profiles depicting high versus low fear of being single (high narcissism control). In Study 2 (N = 176, 69% women, Mage = 21.4), participants evaluated fear of being single and desirability of actual profiles. RESULTS Differences in fear of being single were detectable. Furthermore, detecting higher fear of being single predicted lower romantic desirability. Desirability ratings were due, in part, to estimating lower physical attractiveness (Study 2). Perceivers' own fear of being single moderated effects, such that those higher in fear of being single were not deterred by higher fear of being single. CONCLUSIONS Fear of being single may be detectable when online dating, but desirability of detected fear of being single varies depending on perceiver traits and may be driven in part by misperceptions of physical attractiveness. This research sheds light on challenges for those who fear being single as they attempt to attract mates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kevin P Gahman
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
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4
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What Makes a Partner Ideal, and for Whom? Compatibility Tests, Filter Tests, and the Mating Stability Matrix. Behav Sci (Basel) 2020; 10:bs10020048. [PMID: 32024253 PMCID: PMC7071359 DOI: 10.3390/bs10020048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We introduce a typological characterization of possible human heterosexual couples in terms of the concordance-opposition of the orientations of their active and receptive areas as defined by the tie-up theory. We show that human mating incentives, as characterized by widely adopted approaches, such as Becker’s marriage market approach, only capture very specific instances of actual couples thus characterized. Our approach allows us to instead explore how super-cooperation among partners vs. convenience vs. constriction may be regarded as alternatives modes of couple formation and cohesion, leading to very different types of couples with different implications in terms of stability and resilience. Our results may have interesting implications for future experimental research and for individual and family counseling.
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Cui X, Cheng Q, Lin W, Lin J, Mo L. Different influences of facial attractiveness on judgments of moral beauty and moral goodness. Sci Rep 2019; 9:12152. [PMID: 31434984 PMCID: PMC6704261 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-48649-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Are beauty and goodness the same? The relationship between beauty and goodness has long been a controversial issue in the fields of philosophy, aesthetics, ethics and psychology. Although many empirical studies have explored moral judgment and aesthetic judgment separately, only a few studies have compared the two. Whether these two judgments are two different processes or the same process with two different labels remains unclear. To answer this question, the present study directly compared the influence of facial attractiveness on judgments of moral goodness and moral beauty and revealed distinct contributions of imaging perceptions to these two judgments. The results showed that in the moral beauty judgment task, participants gave higher scores to characters with attractive faces compared with characters with unattractive faces, and larger P200 and LPP were elicited in the unattractive-face condition compared with the attractive-face condition; while in the moral goodness judgment task, there was no significant difference between the two conditions of either behaviour or ERP data. These findings offer important insights into the understanding and comparison of the processes of moral judgment and aesthetic judgment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Cui
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Qiuping Cheng
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Wuji Lin
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Jiabao Lin
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Lei Mo
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China.
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6
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Lucchi Basili L, Sacco PL. Princes Charming are not all made equal. The social cognition of mating strategies in four classical fairy tales. COGENT PSYCHOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/23311908.2017.1422678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Pier Luigi Sacco
- Department of Humanities, IULM University, Via Carlo Bo, 1, Milan 20143, Italy
- Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, Harvard University, Boylston Hall, Cambridge 02138, MA, USA
- FBK-IRVAPP, Via Santa Croce, 77, 38122 Trento, Italy
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8
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MacNeill LP, Best LA, Davis LL. The role of personality in body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating: discrepancies between men and women. J Eat Disord 2017; 5:44. [PMID: 29075494 PMCID: PMC5648431 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-017-0177-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Accepted: 10/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Body image and disordered eating research has focused mostly on the female experience. The present study examined gender differences in the relationship between personality, disordered eating, and body image dissatisfaction. METHODS Participants were 238 female and 85 male undergraduates (Mage = 20.52 years, SD = 4.22) at a Canadian university. Materials included a battery of self-report questionnaires pertaining to personality, body image, and disordered eating. RESULTS As expected, females reported more body dissatisfaction and disordered eating than males. Personality factors were found to be significantly related to the experience of body dissatisfaction in both genders. Further, several personality traits significantly contributed to the prediction of male (high Neuroticism, low Conscientiousness) and female (high Neuroticism) body dissatisfaction beyond the influence of body mass index (BMI). Interestingly, and contrary to findings with female participants, personality traits were not significantly related to disordered eating scores in men. Among women, disordered eating scores were significantly predicted by high Neuroticism and Extraversion, and low Conscientiousness. CONCLUSIONS Although the relationship between disordered eating, body image dissatisfaction, and personality is well-documented in females, this relation may differ for males. The focus on male body image has been increasing in Western society; exploring how males view their bodies may be beneficial to researchers and clinicians alike.
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Affiliation(s)
- L P MacNeill
- Deparment of Psychology, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, 100 Tucker Park Road, P.O. Box 5050, Saint John, NB E2L 4L5 Canada
| | - L A Best
- Deparment of Psychology, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, 100 Tucker Park Road, P.O. Box 5050, Saint John, NB E2L 4L5 Canada
| | - L L Davis
- Deparment of Psychology, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, 100 Tucker Park Road, P.O. Box 5050, Saint John, NB E2L 4L5 Canada
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González-Álvarez J. Men dissociate sexual attraction from moral judgement more than women. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2015; 52:381-388. [PMID: 26534839 DOI: 10.1002/ijop.12228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2015] [Accepted: 09/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Would you find an opposite-sex individual physically less attractive if you knew that he/she was a bad person? Would you feel the same if you were a man or a woman? This study examined whether gender differences exist in the influence of moral judgements on heterosexual physical attraction. In a first Experiment, participants (N = 214) rated on attractiveness photographs of opposite-sex persons. Each photograph was paired with a "good" and a "bad" (from a moral point of view) sentence to depict a quality or activity of the displayed person (i.e., she/he is a defender of human rights in an NGO vs. she/he belongs to a terrorist group). Compared with women, men were significantly less influenced by sentence valence in their attractiveness ratings. A second Experiment (N = 105) using photographs of very attractive people showed the same pattern of results. The data suggest that sexual attraction is relatively less permeable to moral factors in men, and that this sex difference is consistent with an evolutionary approach to human sexuality.
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Karandashev V, Fata B. Change in Physical Attraction in Early Romantic Relationships. INTERPERSONA: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL ON PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS 2014. [DOI: 10.5964/ijpr.v8i2.167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The goal of our research was to study the changes in physical attraction during the early stages of romantic relationships. The longitudinal study explored the personality characteristics of a partner and relationship events affecting physical attraction of early (within the first year) romantic relationships. Participants completed an eight-week longitudinal rating of their attraction toward their romantic partner. Factor analysis revealed behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and physiological dimensions. The behavioral and emotional dimensions play the largest role in attraction among both genders, with cognitive dimension also affecting attraction in women. Personality characteristics of one’s partner are significant predictors of physical attraction for both men and women. However, events occurring in the relationship seem to be only reliable predictors for a women’s attraction.
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Parsons CE, Young KS, Bhandari R, van Ijzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Stein A, Kringelbach ML. The bonnie baby: experimentally manipulated temperament affects perceived cuteness and motivation to view infant faces. Dev Sci 2013; 17:257-69. [DOI: 10.1111/desc.12112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2012] [Accepted: 07/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christine E. Parsons
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Oxford; UK
- Centre of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience; Aarhus University; DK
| | - Katherine S. Young
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Oxford; UK
- Centre of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience; Aarhus University; DK
| | - Ritu Bhandari
- Centre for Child and Family Studies Leiden University, Leiden; The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Alan Stein
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Oxford; UK
| | - Morten L. Kringelbach
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Oxford; UK
- Centre of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience; Aarhus University; DK
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Swami V, Tovée MJ. Men's oppressive beliefs predict their breast size preferences in women. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2013; 42:1199-1207. [PMID: 23412650 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-013-0081-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2012] [Revised: 04/19/2012] [Accepted: 10/15/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies of men's breast size preferences have yielded equivocal findings, with studies variously indicating a preference for small, medium, or large breasts. Here, we examined the impact of men's oppressive beliefs in shaping their female breast size ideals. British White men from the community in London, England (N = 361) viewed figures of women that rotated in 360° and varied in breast size along five levels. They then rated the figure that they found most physically attractive and also completed measures assessing their sexist attitudes and tendency to objectify women. Results showed that medium breasts were rated most frequent as attractive (32.7 %), followed by large (24.4 %) and very large (19.1 %) breasts. Further analyses showed that men's preferences for larger female breasts were significantly associated with a greater tendency to be benevolently sexist, to objectify women, and to be hostile towards women. These results were discussed in relation to feminist theories, which postulate that beauty ideals and practices in contemporary societies serve to maintain the domination of one sex over the other.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viren Swami
- Department of Psychology, University of Westminster, 309 Regent Street, London, W1B 2UW, UK,
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The impact of psychological stress on men's judgements of female body size. PLoS One 2012; 7:e42593. [PMID: 22905153 PMCID: PMC3414440 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0042593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2012] [Accepted: 07/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Previous work has suggested that the experience of psychological stress may influence physical attractiveness ideals, but most evidence in favour of this hypothesis remains archival. The objective of this study was to experimentally investigate the impact of stress on men's judgements of female body size. Methods Men were randomly assigned to either an experimental group, in which they took part in a task that heightened stress (experimental group, n = 41) or in which they did not take part in such a task (control group, n = 40). Both groups rated the attractiveness of female bodies varying in size from emaciated to obese, completed a measure of appetite sensation, and had their body mass indices (BMIs) measured. Results Between-groups analyses showed that the experimental group was matched with the control group in terms of mean age, BMI, and appetite sensation. Further analyses showed that men in the experimental group rated a significantly heavier female body size as maximally attractive than the control group. Men in the experimental group also rated heavier female bodies as more attractive and idealised a wider range of female figures than did the control group. Conclusion This study found that the experience of stress was associated with a preference among men for heavier female body sizes. These results indicate that human attractiveness judgements are sensitive to variations in local ecologies and reflect adaptive strategies for dealing with changing environmental conditions.
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SWAMI VIREN, FURNHAM ADRIAN. An Investigation of Self-Rated Cues Believed to Influence the Judgment of Intelligence in a Zero-Acquaintance Context1. JOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2012.00942.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Brown JR, van der Zwan R, Brooks A. Eye of the Beholder: Symmetry Perception in Social Judgments Based on Whole Body Displays. Iperception 2012. [DOI: 10.1068/i0495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
External bilateral symmetry is a biological marker of normal development and is considered a signal of health and attractiveness across species. Because most human interactions are dynamic, it was hypothesized that observers would be able to perceive spatiotemporal symmetry—symmetry in motion—in human point-light walkers. It was also hypothesized that observers would rate symmetrical walkers as healthy and attractive. Symmetrical and asymmetrical figures were presented to adult participants ( n = 22) in motion and as static images with motion implied. Static symmetry was readily perceived, and symmetrical figures were judged significantly healthier and more attractive than asymmetrical figures. However, observers were unable to discriminate symmetry in dynamic presentations. These data provide preliminary evidence of a temporal summation window for a dynamic symmetry perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Rees Brown
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Behaviour, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Rick van der Zwan
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Behaviour, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Anna Brooks
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Behaviour, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
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Brown JR, van der Zwan R, Brooks A. Eye of the beholder: Symmetry perception in social judgments based on whole body displays. Iperception 2012; 3:398-409. [PMID: 23145290 PMCID: PMC3485838 DOI: 10.1068/i0495sas] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2011] [Revised: 05/24/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
External bilateral symmetry is a biological marker of normal development and is considered a signal of health and attractiveness across species. Because most human interactions are dynamic, it was hypothesized that observers would be able to perceive spatiotemporal symmetry-symmetry in motion-in human point-light walkers. It was also hypothesized that observers would rate symmetrical walkers as healthy and attractive. Symmetrical and asymmetrical figures were presented to adult participants (n = 22) in motion and as static images with motion implied. Static symmetry was readily perceived, and symmetrical figures were judged significantly healthier and more attractive than asymmetrical figures. However, observers were unable to discriminate symmetry in dynamic presentations. These data provide preliminary evidence of a temporal summation window for a dynamic symmetry perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Rees Brown
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Behaviour, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia; e-mail:
| | - Rick van der Zwan
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Behaviour, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia: e-mail:
| | - Anna Brooks
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Behaviour, Southern Cross University, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia; e-mail:
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Gay male attraction toward muscular men: does mating context matter? Body Image 2012; 9:270-8. [PMID: 22342537 DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2012.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2011] [Revised: 01/09/2012] [Accepted: 01/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine gay men's perceived attractiveness of male figures based on short-term and long-term partner contexts. A sample of 190 gay adult men rated the attractiveness of line-drawings depicting male figures varying systematically in muscularity and body fat percentage in both short-term and long-term dating contexts. Mixed effects modeling was used to estimate the effects of figure (muscularity and body fat), dating context (short-term vs. long-term), and individual rater characteristics on attractiveness ratings. Results indicated that figure muscularity and body-fat had significant non-linear (i.e., quadratic) relationships with attractiveness ratings, and short-term dating context was associated with more discriminating ratings of attractiveness. Interactions between individual characteristics and figure characteristics indicated that the more available the individual and lower body fat, the more discriminating they were in ratings of attractiveness. The implications for future investigations considering both object and observer characteristics of attractiveness preferences are discussed.
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Swami V, Stieger S, Pietschnig J, Voracek M, Furnham A, Tovée MJ. The Influence of Facial Piercings and Observer Personality on Perceptions of Physical Attractiveness and Intelligence. EUROPEAN PSYCHOLOGIST 2012. [DOI: 10.1027/1016-9040/a000080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The primary aim of the present study was to examine the influence of facial piercings on observer ratings of physical attractiveness and intelligence. A total of 440 women and men rated a set of stimuli that depicted a female and a male model, respectively, with varying numbers of facial piercings. Participants also completed measures of the Big Five personality factors and sensation seeking, and provided information of their own piercings. Results indicated that, controlling for participants’ own piercings, stimuli with piercings were rated as less physically attractive and intelligent than those without piercings, with multiple piercings being accorded the most negative ratings. In addition, men with piercings were rated more negatively than women with piercings. Further results showed that participants’ openness to experience and sensation seeking were associated with more positive ratings of pierced individuals, and that greater number of participant piercings was correlated with the Big Five personality factors of Emotional Stability, Extraversion, and Conscientiousness, and sensation seeking. These results are discussed in relation to the extant literature on body modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viren Swami
- Department of Psychology, University of Westminster, London, UK
- Department of Psychology, HELP University College, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Stefan Stieger
- Department of Basic Psychological Research, School of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Jakob Pietschnig
- Department of Basic Psychological Research, School of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Voracek
- Department of Basic Psychological Research, School of Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Adrian Furnham
- Department of Clinical, Educational, and Health Psychology, University College London, UK
| | - Martin J. Tovée
- School of Psychology, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
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