Global Perceptions of Beauty and Attractiveness: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of American and Korean College Students’ Mental Images of Beauty

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Abstract

This study of 391 Korean and U.S. college women and men measured media use and media preferences, their beliefs about the importance of appearance attributes and self-discrepancy to determine if these factors shaped the way mental images about beauty were formed for themselves. Findings suggest that most participants in this sample based their perceptions of beauty and attractiveness from imagery found in the media, i.e. from viewing images of celebrities in various media forms.

Authors

• Jee Young Chung, University of Alabama

• Kimberly L. Bissell, University of Alabama