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Hot or not? How self-view threat influences avoidance of attractiveness feedback

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Abstract

In two studies, we examined whether people’s decision to receive evaluations of their own attractiveness depended on whether the evaluations came from sources that might threaten their self-views. Participants believed that evaluators rated their attractiveness based on a photograph taken earlier and ostensibly uploaded to a website. Participants then received the opportunity to view the attractiveness ratings from the evaluators. In both studies, and in a meta-analysis including two pilot studies that are reported in Supplemental Materials online, participants – particularly women – rated feedback as more threatening and avoided receiving feedback more when the ratings came from high-threat evaluators (university peers) than from low-threat evaluators (students at another university, older adults, or children). The robustness of this overall effect was confirmed in the meta-analysis. These results suggest that self-view threat can prompt information avoidance.

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... Information avoidance represents any "behavior designed to prevent or delay the acquisition of available but potentially unwanted information" (Sweeny et al., 2010, p. 341). Research suggests that people may avoid learning information that threatens a cherished world-or self-view (Dwyer et al., 2015;Howell et al., 2017), disrupts positive feelings (Kelly, 1996;Thompson et al., 2002), or obligates unwanted/onerous behavior (Howell & Shepperd, 2012). Other research suggests that people will avoid learning information if it is uncontrollable-that is, if they cannot change the outcome of that information (Howell & Shepperd, 2012;Melnyk & Shepperd, 2012). ...
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Research links open communication and self-disclosure to a host of beneficial outcomes in romantic relationships, including better relationship quality, relationship satisfaction, feelings of closeness and commitment, and relationship longevity. However, learning some information about a partner may evoke negative consequences. In two studies, we examined the types of information people may wish to avoid learning about their past or current romantic partners (Study 1), and individual differences in avoidance of information about a current romantic partner (Study 2). Content-coding of data from Study 1 revealed that a majority (51%) of respondents wished to avoid information related to their partner’s history of sexual behavior and/or infidelity. In Study 2, participants who were older and who scored higher on measures of anxious and avoidant attachment were more likely to want to avoid information about their partner. Furthermore, replicating and extending Study 1, participants most wished to avoid information about their partners’ prior sexual behavior and/or infidelity, as well as their partners’ prejudices. We interpret our findings in terms of a threat-management framework for information avoidance, suggesting that threats to the self and relationship may influence the decision to avoid information about a romantic partner.
... People avoid information about medical test results (e.g. Howell and Shepperd, 2013;Melnyk and Shepperd, 2012), evaluations by others (Howell et al., 2014(Howell et al., , 2017Sweeny and Miller, 2012), goal progress (Webb et al., 2013), and information about others (Yaniv et al., 2004). Although information avoidance may have a negative connotation, in many instances it represents a more rational decision than seeking. ...
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... 4 The pattern of findings was identical when dispositional optimism was removed from the models, except that the between-person effect of flow on negative emotion became significant. 5 Versions of this lab paradigm have successfully created an experience of stressful uncertainty in numerous published studies, as evidenced by behavior consistent with this experience (e.g., bracing for the worst, avoiding information; see Cavanaugh & Sweeny, 2012, Study 1;Sweeny & Falkenstein, 2017, Studies 4, 8, and 9;Sweeny & Miller, 2012, Study 2;Howell, Sweeny, Miller, & Shepperd, 2017). 6 The levels for each condition were determined based on responses in a pilot test, in which participants completed several levels of the game and responded to the 10-item flow scale. ...
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Chapter
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Condition-dependent mate choice in females, whereby condition or attractiveness influences preferences for markers of male quality, is seen in both fish and humans. Such effects may be explained by (1) genetic linkage between trait and preference, (2) poor-condition females having energetic constraints limiting their choosiness, and (3) females of low mate value benefiting from avoiding high-quality males, based on the differential behaviour of high-quality males towards mates of low and high value. We used a contrast effect in women, showing attractive and unattractive same-sex individuals to induce a change in self-rated attractiveness as seen in previous studies, to test the validity of the last explanation. The first two explanations predict that preferences should remain constant across manipulations of self-perceptions of attractiveness, whereas the last predicts preferences should change in line with an individual's perceived mate value. Exposure to attractive same-sex images resulted in lower self-rated attractiveness and preferences for male facial masculinity, whereas exposure to unattractive images resulted in higher self-rated attractiveness and preferences for masculinity. As facial masculinity may be an attractive trait, these results imply that, at least in humans, condition-dependent mate choice may be better conceived as ‘market-value-dependent mate choice’.
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This article describes the use of a slightly modified version of the Eating Disorders Examination (EDE) in children. Sixteen children aged between 7 and 14 years attending an eating disorders clinic over a 5-month period were recruited to the study. The two main modifications to the EDE were (A) the inclusion of a sort task to assess overvalued ideas about weight and shape and (B) the reformulation of certain items to assess intent rather than actual behavior. The existing EDE scoring system was used, resulting in item, subscale, and global scores. Of the 16 children (10 F 6 M), 11 had a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, and 5 of eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS). There were interesting differences in responses on items assessing core overvalued ideas, with weight and/or shape concerns emerging as of great importance in terms of self-evaluation in the majority of children with anorexia nervosa. Results suggest that this may be a useful assessment tool in children, with some children obtaining global and subscale scores consistent with adult norms for females with eating disorders. Problems of the administration of the EDE to this patient group are discussed and details of the modifications used are outlined.
Article
By far, the majority of studies investigating body image in adults have drawn samples from college populations within a very narrow age range. The purpose of the present paper is to review empirical research on the body image of adults older than the typical college student. There are marked changes in appearance across the adult life span, especially for women, which lead to the expectation of concomitant changes in body image. In fact, the review found that body dissatisfaction was remarkably stable across the adult life span for women, at least until they are quite elderly. In contrast, the importance of body shape, weight and appearance decreased as women aged, underscoring an important distinction between evaluation and importance of the body. However, there are many large gaps and limitations in the current literature that will need to be addressed before a more complete understanding of the development of body image across the adult life span is achieved.
Article
Previously unacquainted participants (N = 218) were assessed in small-group sessions in which they rated themselves and each other on (a) the Big Five (e.g., Costa & McCrae, 19924. Costa , P. T. Jr. and McCrae , R. R. 1992. Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO–PI–R) and NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO–FFI) professional manual, Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources. View all references) and (b) an instrument assessing various traits not traditionally measured in the Big Five taxonomy as well as sociopolitical attitudes. Replicating earlier research, we obtained a significant self–stranger correlation on Extraversion; in addition, we found significant agreement on ratings of thriftiness, athleticism, traditionalism, conservatism, and attractiveness. Assumed similarity correlations were substantial for Neuroticism, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness; furthermore, consistent with previous findings, there was a strong inverse relation between agreement and assumed similarity across the assessed characteristics. Finally, the correlations between Neuroticism, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness were significantly greater in the strangers' ratings than in the self-ratings, indicating that these peer judgments are less complex. We also compared our Big Five findings with those from previous samples of varying acquaintanceship; these analyses indicated that the strangers' ratings were characterized by lower levels of self–other agreement (for all traits except Extraversion) and somewhat higher levels of assumed similarity (for ratings of Neuroticism and Agreeableness).
Responding to psychological threats with deliberate ignorance: Causes and remedies
  • J A Shepperd
  • J L Howell
Shepperd, J. A., & Howell, J. L. (2015). Responding to psychological threats with deliberate ignorance: Causes and remedies. In P. J. Carroll, R. M. Arkin, & A. Wichman (Eds.), Handbook of personal security (pp. 257-274). New York, NY: Taylor & Francis.
How 'hot or not' created the internet we know today
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Dockterman, E. (2014). How 'hot or not' created the internet we know today. Retrieved from http:// time.com/2894727/hot-or-not-internet/
Exploring causes of the self-serving bias. Social and Personality Psychology Compass
  • J Shepperd
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  • K Sweeny
Shepperd, J., Malone, W., & Sweeny, K. (2008). Exploring causes of the self-serving bias. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 2(2), 895-908.