Effects of Women’s Hairstyle Variations and Perceivers’ Socio-Psychological Attitudes on Public Image Perception: Focusing on Hair Length and Texture

This study aimed to empirically examine the effects of variations in women’s hairstyles on public image perception and to test whether these relationships are moderated by perceivers’ socio-psychological attitudes, including appearance orientation, gender role stereotypes, and social hierarchy awareness. To this end, a survey was conducted to assess perceptions of public image—specifically social status and professionalism—using ten hairstyle stimuli created through combinations of five lengths and two textures. Data were analyzed using factor analysis, reliability analysis, and hierarchical regression analysis. The results indicated that hairstyle length significantly influenced public image perception, with short-cut and medium styles perceived as having higher social status and professionalism than long or very long styles. In addition, straight hair was rated significantly higher in expertise and reliability than wavy hair. Hierarchical regression analyses further confirmed that appearance orientation, gender role stereotypes, and social hierarchy awareness functioned as significant moderators. Individuals with stronger appearance orientation or greater social hierarchy awareness were more likely to rely on hairstyle as a social signal when evaluating professional competence, whereas gender role stereotypes reinforced traditional norms in the interpretation of visual cues. These findings suggest that hairstyles serve as critical non-verbal cues for conveying competence in public contexts. This study contributes theoretically by integrating perceiver-side psychological variables into cosmetology research and offers practical insights for image consulting and personal branding strategies.