The article below may contain offensive and/or incorrect content.
Women's cosmetics use has been argued to serve a mating function, although previous studies have demonstrated that makeup use is also related to social attitudes and individual variation in personality. To date, however, no studies have actively compared how well mating strategies, social factors, and personality might predict women's cosmetics use. To investigate this, 119 female participants (Mage = 25.59) completed a survey with questions related to mating variables (sociosexual orientation and intrasexual competition), social factors (social comparison and adherence to social roles), and personality (narcissism). These variables were then used to predict both the frequency of cosmetic use (daily or not daily), and quantity of cosmetic application. Regression analyses showed that a restricted mating orientation and competitive tactic use increased the odds of women wearing makeup daily, while unrestricted mating orientation and narcissism best predicted how much cosmetics women used. While on the surface contradictory, these results imply that the frequent use of cosmetics serve to enhance mate value in order to attract a long-term mate, while the amount of cosmetics used serve as a self-promotion tactic. Neither outcome was predicted by social factors, in contrast to sociological arguments that cosmetics use is due to social pressures. The results demonstrate that when considering mating strategies, personality, and social processes together, mating strategies and narcissism are the best predictors of cosmetics use. This study adds to our understanding of motivations for cosmetics use and opens new avenues for investigation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved)





Departments
Authors
Libraries
Current Articles
- Article Correctness Is Author's Responsibility: Video » The NIMH Director’s Innovation Speaker Series: Advancing Therapies for Central Nervous System Disorders
- Article Correctness Is Author's Responsibility: Scientific Meeting » The NIMH Director’s Innovation Speaker Series: Advancing Therapies for Central Nervous System Disorders
- Article Correctness Is Author's Responsibility: How schools meet the needs of students crushed by stress, depression
- Article Correctness Is Author's Responsibility: Losing a long-term spouse can be deadly
- Article Correctness Is Author's Responsibility: Blog Post » One Year In: COVID-19 and Mental Health
- Article Correctness Is Author's Responsibility: Is COVID-19 the rock in David’s slingshot that will bring down Goliath?
- Article Correctness Is Author's Responsibility: CDC says racism is a 'serious threat' to public health
- Article Correctness Is Author's Responsibility: Challenges and innovations in Guatemala’s psychology
- Article Correctness Is Author's Responsibility: Group therapy can provide meaningful connection during COVID-19 loneliness
- Article Correctness Is Author's Responsibility: Covid-19 linked to depression and dementia
- Article Correctness Is Author's Responsibility: Stress on the front lines of Covid-19
- Article Correctness Is Author's Responsibility: Scientific Meeting » Virtual Workshop: Integrating Genomics with Dimensional and Transdiagnostic Approaches to Advance Mental Health Research
- Article Correctness Is Author's Responsibility: Augmenting exposure therapy: International collaboration and technological innovation for specific phobia
- Article Correctness Is Author's Responsibility: What are the 3 levels of autism?
- Article Correctness Is Author's Responsibility: How to reach out when someone you know may be at risk of suicide
- Article Correctness Is Author's Responsibility: Five questions for Michael Kraus
- Article Correctness Is Author's Responsibility: Meeting the demand for services
- Article Correctness Is Author's Responsibility: Preparing for leadership
- Article Correctness Is Author's Responsibility: Benefits of virtual psychotherapy groups for students during COVID-19
- Article Correctness Is Author's Responsibility: Airbnb launches inclusive virtual experiences for neurodiverse guests