The role of media and peer influences in Australian women's attitudes towards cosmetic surgery

•We tested a sociocultural model of attitudes towards cosmetic surgery.•Media (television and advertising) and peer influence (friends) predicted attitudes.•The effects of media and peers on attitudes were mediated by internalisation. The study aimed to examine the influence of media and peers on at...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Body image 2014-09, Vol.11 (4), p.482-487
Main Authors: Sharp, Gemma, Tiggemann, Marika, Mattiske, Julie
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Attitude
Australia
Body dissatisfaction
Body Image - psychology
Cosmetic surgery
Female
Humans
Mass Media
Media
Middle Aged
Peer Group
Peers
Personal Satisfaction
Self Concept
Sociocultural
Surgery, Plastic - psychology
Surveys and Questionnaires
Tripartite Influence Model
Young Adult
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Summary:•We tested a sociocultural model of attitudes towards cosmetic surgery.•Media (television and advertising) and peer influence (friends) predicted attitudes.•The effects of media and peers on attitudes were mediated by internalisation. The study aimed to examine the influence of media and peers on attitudes towards cosmetic surgery using a sociocultural framework. A sample of 351 Australian women aged 18–69 years completed measures of media exposure, friend conversations, internalisation of appearance ideals, appearance comparison, body dissatisfaction, and attitudes towards cosmetic surgery. Correlational analysis showed that almost all media and friend variables were significantly correlated with positive attitudes towards cosmetic surgery. A structural equation model based on the sociocultural model showed a good level of fit to the data. The effects of media exposure and friend conversations on body dissatisfaction and attitudes towards cosmetic surgery were mediated by internalisation. We concluded that media exposure and friend conversations affected attitudes towards cosmetic surgery both directly and indirectly. Our results contribute to the understanding of the sociocultural mechanisms underlying women's motivations for cosmetic surgery.
ISSN:1740-1445
1873-6807
DOI:10.1016/j.bodyim.2014.07.009