The Effects of Self-Esteem and Sociocultural Attitude Toward Appearance on Appearance Management Behavior

A total of 312 questionnaires were collected and analyzed using SPSS 24.0 to investigate the effects of self-esteem and sociocultural attitudes toward appearance on appearance management behaviors among the general population. The collected data were statistically processed through demographic analysis, exploratory factoranalysis, reliability assessment, and multiple regression analysis. The results are as follows. First, self-esteem was classified as a single factor. Sociocultural attitudes were classified into two factors: internalization and awareness. In addition, appearance management behavior was classified into five areas: clothing management, skin care, plastic surgery, weight management, and hair management. Second, self-esteem had a significant positive effect on appearance management behaviors, and sociocultural attitudes toward appearance also showed a significant positive influence on appearance management behaviors. The conclusions are as follows. In order to improve self-esteem, it is necessary to set realistic goals and form positive self-awareness. In addition, education and programs that cultivate correct appearance values and media literacy to form a healthy and positive socio-cultural attitude can provide important implications for understanding appearance management behavior. In future research, it is expected that appearance management behavior will be studied with various variables such as economic level, degree of media use, body image, interpersonal relationships, and lifestyle.