Beauty Perception TEST PDF

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PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT LABORATORY

Beauty Perception Test

Test Developer: Kaila Mei C. Muñoz

II. INTRODUCTION Beauty has become a norm for most people nowadays especially with women. People take different measures so as to achieve this desired “beauty” they ought to have. Even if people say beauty is only in the eye of the beholder, the rise of cosmetic procedures continually progress in the present. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), almost 18 million people underwent surgical and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures in the United States in 2018, cosmetic surgical procedures have been on the rise in the U.S. over the past 5 years[ CITATION Tow19 \l 1033 ]. This doesn’t only include the facial features but as well as the body proportions and BMI of an individual. Culture also plays an important role in cognizance of what is beautiful for the people. For instance, “youthfulness” is the beauty goal in America, while naturally flawless skin is the beauty ideal in Europe. Fairness is coveted in most Asian countries. A voluptuous figure, long bouncy hair and tanned skin is considered beautiful in Brazil. Having a slender figure is considered an important beauty criteria is most parts of the world. However in Africa, a filled-out larger figure is considered beautiful [ CITATION Sun16 \l 1033 ]. With these thinking, people from across the world tend to appear pleasing based on what their culture has set. The society conforms on what the culture has imposed to look like in order to become beautiful. This implies the desire for perfection for multiple reasons such as to have a more acceptable status quo in the society. People who consider themselves attractive believe they belong to a higher social status and, as a result, become more confident. And if the person is confident, there are more chances of passing the job interview and finding one’s dream job [ CITATION Gly16 \l 1033 ]. This goes the same for media influencers seen online who advertise different kinds of means to achieve the look what most people wants to have. The media we have now has set a calibre to follow in order to look acceptable in the society. The content these individuals try to advertise widely affects the apprehension of viewers to what aesthetically pleasing truly is. The desire for beauty has somehow become objective rather than subjective as per se. A study conducted by Jurdi and Smith (2018) used the Social Conformity Theory (SCT) to explain that the pursuit of beauty is motivated by people by mirroring views of their national identity through conformity, identification and subversion. It is influenced not only by global media and celebrity culture but also by how respondents conceptualize their national identity.

The pursuit of beauty is influenced not only by global media and celebrity culture but also by how respondents conceptualize their national identity. Beauty consumption serves two opposing functions in identity construction: social membership and distinction. Beauty, like fashion, serves as an indicator of taste that simultaneously includes the singularity and subjectivity of individual tastes. Another conjecture proposed by Albert Bandura is the importance of Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) wherein individuals explore different aspects of human preference for their critical role in guiding and shaping one’s behaviours [CITATION Moe \l 1033 ]. This is a convincing approach to gain further information in looking at a human preference for beauty. The theory implies that the way a human perceives something can also be affected on what the people around him serve his cognitive functioning which guides his way of reasoning about a subject in this matter, beauty. However, there are some who consider being exquisite is beyond about skin-deep, true enough to negate that surface adds to its whole but personality defines beauty even better. A study by Lewandowski, Aron, and Gee (2007) supports this effect. Their study used both men and women as participants, manipulated personality trait descriptions, and utilized ratings of yearbook photos. The authors found that pictures paired with positive traits were rated as more attractive, and those paired with negative traits were rated as less attractive, when compared to controls. Overall, personality and character information appears to have an impact on perceptions of physical attractiveness [ CITATION Nic11 \l 1033 ]. Drawing from the two theories, Social Cognitive Theory and Social Conformity Theory, the purpose of this test is to measure if individual’s perception of beauty is based on the influence of media and culture. The set standards imposed by the society shapes the way people’s beauty ideals. Moreover, cosmetics, body proportion as well as personalities can also be factors in determining the basis of these apprehension. This test can help the test developers as well as the future researchers in knowing if such factors contribute in the judgment given by individuals whenever they amplify with the pursuit of beauty. This will also help in diminishing all kinds of discrimination that is widely experienced by many as well as in cutting out the stigma imposed by the society.

III. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE On the perception of intricacy, people’s opinions vary from different aspects depending on their standards. These standards may seem to be ideal for some but not for others. Various factors play an important role with these set standards by the society. Since time immemorial, people have been experiencing image issues and are told of what they need to look like in order to be more accepted towards others. Social media has increased in popularity ever since the idea of smart phones and tablets started to appear for sale; there are various types of “social apps”, where millions of people can create their own profile and communicate with each other. While one may think social media only consists of contacting friends and sharing memories, the use of social has started to become the complete opposite of its purpose. Social media has slowly progressed into presenting boys and girls with their definition of what is “perfect” or “beautiful” and it has started to make an impact on self-esteem [ CITATION Smi17 \l 1033 ]. With all forms of pressure on "perfect" looks coming from different directions in today's world, it seems quite easy for one to be unhappy with one's body as media portray all forms of "ideal" images through movies, social media, advertisements, music videos, celebrity/gossip magazines, fashion programmes on TV amongst others [ CITATION Tet15 \l 1033 ]. According to a study conducted by Lee and Kim (2018), in which they identified the human beauty value (HBV), based on an exploratory qualitative study of women’s pursuit of beauty in three East Asian cultures: South Korea, China, and Japan, culture affects in the value people give on beauty. HBV is a value pursued through a focus on human beauty and a subjective belief related to a desirable or desired end-state of a beautiful body. It is also applied to modes of behaviors that control body conditions, which, in turn, guide the selection or evaluation of behaviors, people, or events involved in determining human beauty. HBV is a cultural product affected by socio-cultural contexts, and similar aspects of HBV could exist in various cultures. However, these values could be hierarchically and distinctly ordered depending on cultural characteristics [CITATION Lee18 \l 1033 ] The perception of attractiveness has fluctuated drastically over time. For example, a review of widely viewed images in Western culture over the course of the 20th century provides an example of the evolution of the beautiful female body. While a waist-to-hip ratio has stayed relatively constant, there have been wide variations of body mass index across cultures and

time periods. The multifaceted concept of beauty shows that perception can change depending on the individual, society and/or historical period [CITATION Bos19 \l 1033 ] The ‘‘what is beautiful is good’’ stereotype is a classic phenomenon in social psychology and implies that when forming impressions of others, perceiving a person as good looking fosters positive expectations about personal characteristics [ CITATION Rol15 \l 1033 ]. Physical attractiveness has been shown to generate a broadly favorable impression of both men and women[ CITATION Lan00 \l 1033 ]. Indeed, people seem to assume that positive interpersonal qualities and physical attractiveness are systematically linked (Rollero, 2015). In a study conducted by Personal Relationships (2007), it is founded that perceptions of physical attractiveness are influenced by personality. The study finds that individuals – both men and women – who exhibit positive traits, such as honesty and helpfulness, are perceived as better looking. Those who exhibit negative traits, such as unfairness and rudeness, appear to be less physically attractive to observers. From a young age, girls are taught to experiment with makeup to increase their attractiveness. Different amounts can be applied as needed, and it works as a temporary boost in self-esteem. What is so appealing to most women about cosmetics is that it can be a quick and easy way to temporarily solve beauty problems [ CITATION Bri12 \l 1033 ]. Women report using cosmetics for a variety of reasons, ranging from anxiety about facial appearance, conformity to social norms, and public self-consciousness, through to appearing more sociable and assertive to others. Cosmetics are effective at improving social perceptions that the wearer may wish to modulate, with individuals appearing to be healthier and earning more, displaying greater competence, likeability and trustworthiness, as well as appearing more prestigious and dominant [ CITATION Kra16 \l 1033 ]. According to study conducted by Cieslicka (2016), body measurements contributes to male and female perception of physical attractiveness. Physical characteristics (e.g., narrow waist, long legs, and medium–large breasts) play an important role in determining attractiveness and selecting a potential mate, particularly in men’s evaluations of women [ CITATION Dix09 \l 1033 ]. Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and breast size are morphological traits that are associated with female attractiveness. Previous studies using line drawings of women have shown that men across cultures rate low WHRs (0.6 and 0.7) as most attractive [ CITATION Cie16 \l 1033 ].

Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) was used in the study of Jurdi and Smith (2018). There were sixteen Lebanese who are aged between 18 and 45. The respondents were interviewed regarding their beauty ideals in relation with themselves and others. Photo-elicitation was used to facilitate the said discussion. Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) is a theoretical perspective in which learning by observing other is the focus of the study (Bandura, 1986). The affecting facets mentioned constitutes to the varying beauty ideals of people as per se.

IV. OBJECTIVES The main objective of this study is to know if the factors: Media Influence, Cultural Influence, Cosmetics, Body Proportion and Personality Traits are basis of an individual’s perception of beauty. Moreover, this test aims to determine if a person conforms on societal norms set by its surroundings. V. TABLE OF SPECIFICATIONS FACTORS MEDIA INFLUENCE

NO. OF ITEMS 10

FREQUENCY 20%

CULTURAL INFLUENCE

10

20%

COSMETICS

10

20%

BODY PROPORTION

10

20%

PERSONALITY TRAITS

10

20%

TOTAL

50

100%

VI. TEST ITEMS

1. I want to look just like the celebrities I follow on social media. 2. Whenever I post a picture online, I feel beautiful if I get multiple likes. 3. Advertisements get my attention. 4. I feel insecure whenever I see pictures of models on the internet. 5. I think about what people will say before I post my pictures on social media. 6. I take a lot of selfies in a day. 7. I don’t want having similar outfits with someone online. 8. I rarely post selfies. 9. I often use social media to keep watch on the latest beauty trends. 10. I appreciate posts that promote aesthetics. 11. I find it attractive when a person has delicate jaw, full lips, small nose, high cheekbones and large eyes. 12. I prefer a lighter skin than a dark one. 13. I feel powerful if I belong on a higher social status. 14. Regardless of age, everyone is beautiful. 15. I find people who have large eyes appealing. 16. I think accessories add to the looks of a person. 17. I like wearing oversized outfits to hide my form. 18. I want to have a fit and toned figure. 19. I want my skin to be bright and smooth. 20. I use appearance-enhancing tools. 21. Whenever people tell me I am kind, I feel confident. 22. I care about what people think about me. 23. I am happy with who I am. 24. I can go on a day without looking at myself on the mirror.

25. I am easily offended when someone judges me badly based on my appearance. 26. When I meet a new person, I immediately notice the way he/she is more than the way he/she looks. 27. I am beautiful no matter what people say. 28. A very smart-looking person gets my attention so much. 29. I am a very passionate person. 30. I value my career/study more than anything else. 31. I think make up products enhance my facial features. 32. I am more confident going out with a bare face than having make up on. 33. I have my own skin care routine. 34. I don’t find plastic surgeries an issue 35. I plan on changing my facial features through cosmetic surgery someday. 36. I am not comfortable going out with no make-up on. 37. I often go to the powder room to retouch. 38. I use hair products aside from conditioner and shampoo. 39. I get my nails done once a month (manicure, pedicure). 40. Having a natural look is pretty attractive for me. 41. I go to the gym on a regular basis. 42. I wear anything I want regardless of the opinions of other people. 43. I am contented with my height. 44. I feel confident when people tell me I have a nice figure. 45. I think my weight is just normal for my height. 46. I often wear clothes that will make me look slim. 47. I get offended when people comment about my body. 48. I want to enhance my body features.

49. I have a fast metabolism. 50. I think slimming products can help me achieve my desired body figure.

VII. ADMINISTRATION INSTRUCTION The Beauty Perception Test is designed to determine the most affective facets; Media Influence, Cultural Influence, Cosmetics, Body Proportion and Personality Traits to an individual’s perception of beauty. The time of administration for this test is approximately 15 minutes depending on the assessee. This can be administered to individuals between ages 1845. The test taker should be able to read and understand the test items carefully, he/she shall put a check (√) mark on the space provided for the corresponding answer of his/her choice on whether he/she strongly agree, agree, disagree or strongly disagree.

VIII. SCORING INSTRUCTION This test will be scored through the use of Likert scale which will be specified as strongly disagree to strongly agree with the corresponding scores from 1-4 (1 being the lowest and 4 the highest). There are 10 (ten) items for each facet, and 5 (five) facets; (O1) Media Influence, (O2) Cultural Influence, (O3) Cosmetics, (O4) Personality Traits, and (O5) Body Proportion to consider. The total possible score for each facet is 40 which will yield to a 4.0 mean (x ). The highest added results in the items per factor will mean that that factor greatly contributes to the individual’s beauty perception. And that certain items per factor that will result to having the highest score will add to the factor’s affectivity.

IX. INTERPRETATION

After adding up all the scores, the table below shows the corresponding mean of each factor.

To get the mean, the sample scores were derived from a formula x = sum of all scores/total number of sample. As seen on the table, the factor Personality Traits yields the highest score with a mean of 3.04 and Cosmetics being the lowest with a mean score of 2.43. Which means that Personality Traits is the factor that affect most an individual’s perception of beauty and Cosmetics being the least affecting factor based on the sample taken.

X. PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES

Using the SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences), the Cronbach’s Alpha was generated in order to know the internal consistency and reliability of the test items as well as the whole test as per se. The resulting 0.74 reliability coefficient shows a high outcome meaning that the items have relatively high internal consistency and is at par with the

“acceptable” reliability coefficient in most social science research situations which is 0.70. This 50 item test shows validity and reliability based on the given statistical results mentioned.

XI. VALIDATION PROCEDURES For the validation process to be possible, a letter for the validator was made and signed by the instructors, adviser and the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Prior to the former procedure, the letters were sent to the psychometricians as a notice that the researcher will seek their expertise in psychometric measurement in validating the tool. After the validator has done the validation process, the test items that have been marked accept will be considered in the test items while the ones that have been marked revise will be altered by the researcher and lastly, the items that have been marked rejected will not be included in the test. The tool will be validated by three (3) psychometricians in order to establish its face validity.

XIII. LIST OF REFERENCES

Boston University School of Medicine. (2019). What constitutes beauty and how is it perceived? Retrieved from Sciencenews: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190605133549.htm Britton. (2012). The Beauty Industry's Influence on Women in Society. Retrieved from Scholars: https://scholars.unh.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1085&context=honors Cieslicka. (2016). Male and Female Perception of Physical Attractiveness: An Eye Movement Study. Retrieved from Sagejournals: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1474704916631614 Dixson et al. (2009). Eye-Tracking of Men’s Preferences for Waist-to-Hip Ratio and Breast Size of Women. Retrieved from Springerlink: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-009-9523-5 Glynska. (2016). Beauty and confidence: are they related? Retrieved from huffpost: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/beauty-and-confidence-are_b_12578134 Kramer. (2016). Facial Cosmetics and Attractiveness: Comparing the Effect Sizes of Professionally-Applied Cosmetics and Identity. Retrieved from Plosone: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0164218 Langlois et al. (2000). Maxims or myths of beauty? A meta-analytic and theoretical review. Retrieved from APA Psycnet: https://psycnet.apa.org/buy/2000-15386-005 Lee & Kim. (2018). Why do women want to be beautiful? A qualitative study proposing a new “human beauty values” concept. Retrieved from Plosone: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0201347 Mo et al. (2016). Natural Tendency towards Beauty in Humans: Evidence from Binocular Rivalry. Retrieved from Plos one: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article? id=10.1371/journal.pone.0150147 Nicholson. (2011). Is Your Personality Making You More or Less Physically Attractive? Retrieved from Psychologytoday: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/theattraction-doctor/201105/is-your-personality-making-you-more-or-less-physicallyattractive

Relationships, P. (2007). Personality Traits Influence Perceived Attractiveness. Retrieved from Sciencedaily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071129145852.htm Rollero. (2015). The Effects of Attractiveness and Status on Personality Evaluation. Retrieved from Europes journal of psychology: htt...