Self-objectification and cosmetic surgery consideration among Chinese young women: The mediating roles of alienation and body image inflexibility

• Published in: Journal of health psychology 2024-08, Vol.29 (9), p.1006-1017
• Main Authors: Huang, Xiaole, Lin, Rongmao, Yan, Youwei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Adolescent; Adult; Alienation; Asian People - psychology; Body image; Body Image - psychology; China; Coping strategies; Cosmetic surgery; East Asian People; Female; Humans; Self Concept; Selfobjects; Students - psychology; Surgery; Surgery, Plastic - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Willingness; Young Adult; Young women
• ISSN: 1359-1053; 1461-7277; 1461-7277
• DOI: 10.1177/13591053231222854

The behavior of undergoing cosmetic surgery is a coping strategy for body-image threats and challenges. Self-objectification is associated with alienation and body image inflexibility, and all of these are associated with stronger cosmetic surgery considerations. This study evaluated the relationship between self-objectification and cosmetic surgery consideration, and whether this relationship was mediated by alienation and body image inflexibility. The participants were 650 Chinese female college students. Serial mediation analysis indicated that the relationship between self-objectification and cosmetic surgery consideration was significantly mediated by alienation followed by body image inflexibility. The total mediating effect value was 0.424, accounting for 57.5% of the total effects. These results suggest that reducing alienation and improving the flexibility of body image can reduce the influence of self-objectification on young women’s willingness to undergo cosmetic surgery. These findings provide a basis for intervening or preventing the self-objectified young women’s willingness for cosmetic surgery.