Objectification theory predicts college women’s attitudes toward cosmetic surgery

This study investigated cosmetic surgery attitudes

within the framework of objectification theory. One hundred

predominantlyWhite, British undergraduate women completed

self-report measures of impression management, global selfesteem,

interpersonal sexual objectification, self-surveillance,

body shame, and three components of cosmetic surgery

attitudes. As expected, each of the objectification theory

variables predicted greater consideration of having cosmetic

surgery in the future. Also, as expected, sexual objectification

and body shame uniquely predicted socialmotives for cosmetic

surgery, whereas self-surveillance uniquely predicted intrapersonal

motives for cosmetic surgery. These findings suggest that

women’s acceptance of cosmetic surgery as a way to

manipulate physical appearance can be partially explained by

the degree to which they view themselves through the lenses of

sexual and self-objectification.