The Influence of Men’s Body Dissatisfaction in Appearance-Related Behaviors: The Moderator Role of Public Self-Consciousness: An Abstract

Abstract

This study investigated how Generation Y men’s body dissatisfaction would influence their appearance-related behaviors, including appearance management and clothing purchase behavior, and whether public self-consciousness would play a moderator role in the relationship between body dissatisfaction and those appearance-related behaviors. Specifically, this study investigated heterosexual men only as they may have different perceptions toward their body and appearance-related behaviors compared to homosexual men. Body dissatisfaction refers to negative feelings that are caused by a discrepancy between an individual’s perceived ideal body appearance and his perceived actual body appearance (Grieve 2007). Appearance management is described as individuals’ behaviors such as dieting, exercising, and hairstyling to manage their overall appearances (Reilly and Rudd 2007), with an exception of clothing behavior which is incorporated in this study through clothing purchase behavior. Clothing purchase behavior is defined as individuals’ purchasing activities of clothes that reflect an individual’s aesthetic preference and taste, present his individuality, and do not necessarily follow the latest trends. Public self-consciousness refers to the degree of individuals’ concerns about their appearance and behaviors in a social context (Buss 1985). Built upon the symbolic self-completion theory, this study tested the following hypotheses: Hypothesis 1 : Body dissatisfaction of men in Generation Y would positively influence their appearance management behavior. Hypothesis 2 : Body dissatisfaction of men in Generation Y would positively influence their clothing purchase behavior. Hypothesis 3 : With higher level of public self-consciousness, the positive relationship between body dissatisfaction of men in Generation Y and (a) appearance management and (b) clothing purchase behavior will be strengthened. Data collected from 277 participants (Mage = 31.93) through an online survey posted on the Amazon Mechanical Turk platform were included for analyses. Reliabilities of those measures ranged from.82 to.92. A series of multiple regressions were conducted to test the three hypotheses. Results showed that three factors of body dissatisfaction (i.e., weight, muscles, and height) had different influences in how Generation Y men would manage their appearance and purchase clothing that fitted their personal styles. Public self-consciousness did not moderate the relationships between Generation Y men’s body dissatisfaction and appearance-related behaviors (i.e., appearance management and clothing purchase behavior). Discussion and implications are discussed.