• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.30 no.1 s.149
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• pp.59-70
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• 2006

This study has analyzed females' motives and psychological experiences related to appearance-enhancement seeking behavior(weight control practice and cosmetic surgery). In this study, in-depth interviews were carried out to 11 females who had experienced weight control practices and cosmetic surgery in June 2001. There is social standard in ideal body image. One perceive a physical idea and own body through society(mass media, reference group), others and clothing, and recognize the ideal body and internalize the social standard as own worth. The discrepancies between ideal body image internalized as standards of own worth and real body image became a setup for body dissatisfaction. Increasing in body dissatisfaction, rejection of own body grow, furthermore body is perceived with distortion. In order to remove a negative body image and to reach ideal body image, appearance-enhancement seeking behavior such as weight control and cosmetic surgery is made. By appearance enhancing, one come to closer to ideal image of which one pursuit oneself. Therefore body satisfaction feeling increase, self·esteem rise, manner of life and character change to with affirmation. Otherwise, strengthening of appearance-concern and of appearance enhancement seeking desire has the possibility of developing into bulimia and cosmetic surgery addiction. Also, the standard of beauty in appearance rise by degrees, and that produces motives of appearance-enhancement seeking behavior.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.165-182
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• 2013

This study conducts a survey based on 425 Chinese females in their twenties to thirties in order to examine the relevance between the cognitions of appearance effectiveness, ideal appearance seeking behavior and clothing image preference which have effects on their self-identity and interpersonal relations. The results of this study are as follows ; First, from the factor analysis for cognition of appearance effectiveness, and ideal appearance seeking behavior, a total of 4 factors such as psychological benefits, social benefits factors, pursuit of plastic surgery and pursuit of beauty treatment are being were drawn. As a result, there are significant correlations between heights of demographic variables and the cognition of appearance effectiveness, together with the ideal appearance seeking behavior. Respondents with higher heights represent the higher cognitions of appearance effectiveness, while the respondents with lower heights show more pursuits of beauty treatment behavior to reach the ideal image. Second, factor analysis of the clothing images are 4 factors such as classic-trendy, natural-dynamic, casual-formal, and masculine-feminine images. There are significant correlations between the four factors from clothing preference images and four factors from the cognition of appearance effectiveness, and ideal appearance seeking behavior. This suggests that higher social status such as job, income, residential district, and age among the demographic factors has greater effects on the clothing image preference.