No abstract

Rates of cosmetic surgery procedures have increased dramatically over the past several decades, but only recently have studies of cosmetic surgery attitudes among the general population begun to appear in the literature. The vast majority of those who undergo cosmetic surgery are women. We examined cosmetic surgery attitudes among 218 undergraduate women, most of whom were White. Specifically, we examined their acceptance of cosmetic surgery and expressed desire to undergo cosmetic surgery procedures, and several potential predictors: appearance attitudes of mothers, fathers, and friends; awareness and internalization of sociocultural appearance messages; and materialism. Multiple regression analyses indicated that materialism and internalization of sociocultural messages consistently emerged as significant predictors of acceptance of cosmetic surgery and desire for cosmetic surgery procedures. Paternal attitudes positively predicted acceptance of cosmetic surgery for social reasons and desire for cosmetic surgery; nonmaterialism negatively predicted considering cosmetic surgery and the desire for cosmetic surgery procedures.

Social psychological research often relies on measures of group identification in assessing levels of group consciousness. However, for women, the relationship between gender identification and group consciousness may not be a straightforward one. Questionnaire data were used to examine the relationships between measures of group identity and group evaluations with other attitudinal, phenomenological, and developmental measures of feminist consciousness. Research participants were 234 undergraduate women; the majority (75%) were white and from middle-to upper-middle-class backgrounds. The results supported the hypothesis that use of the reference group "feminists," rather than the more general group "women," would be more strongly related to other dimensions of group consciousness in women. Tajfel (1978a; 1982) specified two important components of the multidimensional concept of group consciousness, each of them involving group identification. The first component is an awareness of one's group membership, which is implied by self-identification as the member of a particular group. The second entails an evaluative stance towards one's group membership, one's group, or a related group. Research involving these particular components of group consciousness is prevalent in the social psychological literature (e.g., Abrams & Hogg, 1990; Breakwell, 1992; Gurin, Miller & Gurin, 1980). For some social groups, group identification may be so strongly tied to the broader concept of group consciousness that it serves as a useful indicator of an individual's level of group consciousness. However, for women, group identification, and the relationship between iden-tTo whom correspondence should be addressed at Women's Studies Program, 234 W. Engineering,

We consider the importance of sexual satisfaction in the first years of marriage. First, we examine how husbands' and wives' feelings of affirmation and tension in their marriage relate to levels of sexual satisfaction. Further, we explore the relationship between sexual satisfaction and four dimensions of marital well-being: competence, control, equity and happiness. Data from a longitudinal study of black and white couples were analysed separately by race and gender. In both the first and third years of marriage, feelings of affirmation and tension were associated with sexual satisfaction for all race and gender groups. Sexual satisfaction was related to several dimensions of marital well-being, though not always in the expected direction, and the patterns differed across race and gender groups. Sexual satisfaction is at least as important to wives as to husbands, but it is important to conduct separate analyses for race and gender groups.

This study examined individual difference and social factors in moderating the effects of media images on women's body satisfaction. Participants heard a conversation wherein 2 people either were judgmental about a mutual friend's weight gain or discussed their friend's recent move. Participants then viewed slides which were either neutral or depicted “ideal” images of women. Results underscored the importance of individual differences. When exposed to ideal images, thinner women more positively evaluated their sexual attractiveness, while heavier women reported more negative self‐evaluations. Compared to low self‐monitors, high self‐monitors who were exposed to ideal images were more positive about their physical condition. The findings demonstrate that media images do not similarly affect all women's body esteem.