People's self-esteem more tied to appearances than to 'what's inside,'says UW research study

from the UW media relations office

People's self-esteem is most strongly tied to traits such as physical appearance, social skills and popularity, says a UW psychology study.

That's because appearances are most strongly linked to acceptance from others, says research associate Danu Anthony, who led the study with psychology professors John Holmes and Joanne Wood. The study also finds that self-esteem is most strongly connected to traits that garner acceptance from other people.

"We were intrigued that society really seems to be of two minds about the traits that it values," Anthony says. The study, entitled Social acceptance and self-esteem: Tuning the sociometer to interpersonal value, was published in the June issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

"People state emphatically that it is 'what's inside' that counts and encourage their children not to judge others based on appearances, yet they revere attractive people to an astonishing degree," Anthony says. "They say they value communal qualities such as kindness and understanding more than any other traits, but seem to be exceptionally interested in achieving good looks and popularity."

The researchers then wondered what effect those dual messages would have on people's self-esteem. "Would self-esteem be linked to the traits that people say they value the most, like kindness, understanding and warmth, or would it be linked to the traits that are the most valuable on the interpersonal marketplace, namely good looks, social skills and popularity?"

The researchers hypothesized that self-esteem is linked to the traits that garner acceptance from others — what other people value in potential friends and romantic partners.

Though appearances are highly prized in Western society, there are important social roles that emphasize the interpersonal value of 'what's inside.' "Our social-role model of interpersonal value predicts that self-esteem is generally attuned to appearances, but self-esteem will also be linked to communal qualities when one's social role dictates that such qualities are important for garnering acceptance from others," Anthony says.

The results of the research show that across all the social roles examined, self-esteem was most strongly attuned to appearances. But those in interdependent social roles, such as women, people of East Asian descent and people in romantic relationships, had self-esteem that was also tied to communal qualities, such as kindness and warmth.

Women are valued when they behave in a warm, loving manner, the study says. East Asian cultures, which are highly communal, also value people who possess traits that facilitate social relationships. And people also value kindness and understanding in their romantic partners.

"The take-home message of this research is that self-esteem is inherently tied to acceptance from others," Anthony says. "Thus, self-esteem is also tied to the traits that garner acceptance from others."

Back to top

Enlightened, condensed, and bamboozled

An interdisciplinary seminar introduced last year — Knowledge Mobilisation to Serve Society (ARTS 600) — is on again this fall and is open to grad students in all programs. It’s about how to communicate the results of research to those in the real world who can best make use of or benefit from the new knowledge. Examples of “knowledge products” developed by students last winter include a news release on a “sales speak detector: how marketing affects the way politicians and policy makers speak to the public.” and a fact sheet on the rights of employees dealing with aggressive customers; more here. The course is led by Kathleen Bloom, psychology, director of the Canadian Centre for Knowledge Mobilisation. Enrolment is limited, so interested students are asked to contact Dr. Bloom at kbloom@cckm.ca as soon as possible.

Word comes that Jeff Chen, a faculty member in physics and astronomy, recently co-authored and published a paper in the Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter. The paper, “Smectic phases in rod–coil diblock copolymers,” appears in the current online edition and is available at this link. It’s also featured in the September 2007 print version of JPCM.

The 19th annual Waterloo Busker Carnival starts on Thursday and runs through next Sunday, with performances taking place on King Street between William and Erb streets. Three dozen participants, with names like Bike Boy, Andy Zap, and Bamboozled are here already, staying in UW residence rooms.

CPA staff

Back to top