Competitive Orientations and Women’s Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery

Abstract

Women are presumed to compete intrasexually primarily on the basis of physical attractiveness. As such, in efforts to enhance their appearance, women may strive to achieve unrealistic cultural ideals of attractiveness promulgated in the media with potentially negative implications (e.g., body dysmorphic disorder, eating disorders, and cosmetic surgery). The present study considered the implications of two forms of competitive orientation on women's acceptance of cosmetic surgery. Findings indicated that a hypercompetitive orientation (psychologically unhealthy) was a better predictor of acceptance of cosmetic surgery than body dysmorphia. Personal development competitiveness (psychologically healthy) was not related to either body dysmorphia or cosmetic surgery acceptance. Implication of these results and direction for further research are considered.

Competitive Orientations and Men’s Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery

“…The positive relationship between personal development, an otherwise healthy competitive orientation, and acceptance of cosmetic surgery was unexpected. This is in contrast to a negative relationship reported for women (Thornton et al, 2013) and may be due to a positive relationship between hypercompetitiveness and personal development competitiveness among men in the present study (r = 0.28, p < 0.01).…”

“…In contrast, personal development competitiveness was negatively related to body dysmorphia, but was not significantly related to cosmetic surgery. Moreover, hypercompetiveness was found to be a significant predictor of acceptance of cosmetic surgery while personal development competitiveness failed to be of predictive utility in this regard, an outcome that is comparable to previous reports on women (Thornton et al, 2013).…”

“…Acceptance of cosmetic surgery was also significantly related to body dysmorphia (r = 0.42, p < 0.001), but not BMI (r = 0.06). A similar pattern had been observed previously among women (Thornton et al, 2013). Interestingly, both hypercompetitiveness and personal development competitiveness were positively correlated with cosmetic surgery acceptance (rs = 0.28, p < 0.01 and 0.17, p < 0.05, respectively).…”

“…Among women, these two competitive orientations have been shown to relate differentially to disordered eating (Burkle, Ryckman, Gold, Thornton, & Audesse, 1999) as well as body dysmorphia and the acceptance and consideration of cosmetic surgery (Thornton, Ryckman, & Gold, 2013). In particular, Thornton et al reported hypercompetitiveness to be positively related to both body dysmorphia and acceptance of cosmetic surgery, but hypercompetitiveness proved to be a stronger predictor of cosmetic surgery than body dysmorphia.…”

Cosmetic Surgery as Intrasexual Competition: The Mediating Role of Social Comparison

“…The present study explores cosmetic surgery as one such intrasexually-competitive method-a tactic for making oneself more desirable than same-sex conspecifics to members of the opposite sex. Indeed, recent evidence suggests that hyper-competitive women hold more positive attitudes toward cosmetic surgery (Thornton, Ryckman, & Gold, 2013). We expected that intrasexually-competitive individuals would more frequently assess where they stand on dimensions of physical attractiveness relative to others, and would in turn express more positive attitudes toward cosmetic surgery and greater desired spending on cosmetic surgery, as well as low perceived risk of cosmetic surgery compared to less intrasexually-competitive individuals.…”