Self-rated physical attractiveness and its relation to psychological well-being across adolescence

Hormonal and cycle phase predictors of within-women shifts in self-perceived attractiveness: Tests of alternative functional models

Prior research has produced mixed findings regarding whether women feel more attractive during the fertile phase of the menstrual cycle. Here, we analyzed cycle phase and hormonal predictors of women's self-perceived attractiveness (SPA) assessed within a daily diary study. Forty-three women indicated their SPA, sexual desire, and interest in their own partners or other potential mates each day across 1-2 menstrual cycles; saliva samples collected on corresponding days were assayed for estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone; and photos of the women taken at weekly intervals were rated for attractiveness. Contrary to some prior studies, we did not find a significant increase in SPA within the estimated fertile window (i.e., cycle days when conception is possible). However, within-cycle fluctuations in progesterone were significantly negatively associated with shifts in SPA, with a visible nadir in SPA in the mid-luteal phase. Women's sexual desire and SPA were positively associated, and the two variables fluctuated in very similar ways across the cycle. Third-party ratings of women's photos provided no evidence that women's SPA simply tracked actual changes in their visible attractiveness. Finally, for partnered women, changes in SPA correlated with shifts in attraction to own partners at least as strongly as it did with shifts in fantasy about extra-pair partners. Our findings provide preliminary evidence for the idea that SPA is a component of women's sexual motivation that may change in ways similar to other hormonally regulated shifts in motivational priorities. Additional large-scale studies are necessary to test replication of these preliminary findings.

Examining the Prospective Bidirectional Associations between Subjective and Objective Attractiveness and Adolescent Internalizing Symptoms and Life Satisfaction

Research has consistently shown that more physically attractive individuals are perceived by others to be happier and better psychologically adjusted than those perceived as less attractive. However, due to the lack of longitudinal research in adolescents, it is still unclear whether poor mental health predicts or is predicted by either objective or subjective attractiveness during this critical developmental period. The purpose of the current study was to examine prospective bidirectional associations between both subjective and objective ratings of attractiveness, life satisfaction and symptoms of social anxiety, depression and eating disorders (i.e., internalizing symptoms) from early to mid-adolescence. Participants (T1: N = 528, 49.9% girls; M_age = 11.19; SD = 0.55) were followed annually over four time points. The cross-lagged panel model results revealed evidence of prospective associations between both forms of attractiveness and life satisfaction and internalizing symptoms, which were driven more by changes in the mental health outcomes than by changes in the subjective and objective attractiveness ratings. The results also indicated that the pattern, strength, and direction of the associations tested were robust across boys and girls, and white and non-white ethnic groups. Overall, the findings suggest that it is important to find effective ways of educating adolescents who are unhappy with their appearance that making changes to improve their mental health, rather than focusing on their physical appearance, will have benefits not only for how they perceive themselves but also for how they are perceived by others.

Associations between online communication with strangers and mild delinquency in junior high school students

Today, adolescents can easily make contact with strangers online. The present study examines the relation of online communication with strangers (OCS) and mild delinquency among junior high school students and explores which risk factors are associated with both types of behavior, taking gender differences into account. A total of 1873 Japanese adolescents (aged 12–15) with mobile phones completed online questionnaires assessing internet usage (duration, variability), parental behavior (violence, monitoring), and adolescent characteristics (depression, self-control) as potential predictors of OCS and mild delinquency. Sequential model testing revealed that the duration of internet usage was associated with both dependent variables, whereas its variability was associated with OCS alone. Self-control and parental violence predicted both outcome variables in girls, but only mild delinquency in boys. Depression was related with both behaviors in boys. Parental monitoring was negatively associated with OCS among girls and with mild delinquency among boys. Overall, OCS appeared to have a similar function for girls as mild delinquency did for boys. Implications for future studies and preventive programs will be discussed.