Susceptibility to physical attractiveness comparison:On the role of attributions in protecting self-esteem

Do the habitual comparisons of physical attractiveness conducted by people in daily life affect their self-esteem, and how do they account for the outcome of such comparisons? This study examined the effect of a single physical attractiveness comparison (PAC) on the change in group members' self-esteem, attractiveness ratings, and attributions following a manipulation of their attractiveness ranking. One hundred and twenty-two Japanese undergraduates ranked each other according to their attractiveness in newly formed groups, and later were provided with bogus feedback about their own rank. The results indicated a change in subjects' ratings of their own attractiveness, and various differences in their attribution style, but virtually no effect on their self-esteem. These outcomes are explained in terms of defense mechanisms employed to protect one's self-esteem from the fluctuations of incessant PACs, but they may also reflect certain aspects of the self common in collectivitst societies.