Self Evaluation of Physical Attractiveness as a Function of Self-Esteem and Defensiveness

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1990

Department

Psychology

Abstract

The accuracy of people in estimating their physical attractiveness and the extent to which these estimations related to self-esteem, defensiveness, and gender was investigated. Subjects were 114 male and 202 female undergraduates. They completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the K scale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), and rated their physical attractiveness (p < .0001), with the tendency significantly greater for males (p < .001). Overestimation was greatest for low attractive subjects and least for high attractive subjects. In addition, overestimators were significantly more defensive (p < .01), and had significantly higher self-esteem (p < .001>. Further research was suggested regarding the conditions under which self-ratings are obtained and relationships between physical appearance and other personality traits.

Publication Title

Journal of Social Behavior and Personality

Volume

5

Issue

6

First Page

575

Last Page

580

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