Beauty And Materiality:The Relationship Between Self-Perceived Physical Attractiveness And Materialism And Its Mechanism

In the current era,the pursuit of physical beauty has become increasingly prevalent,with the concept of “Yanzhi is justice” gaining popularity.This has led to the rise of the“Yanzhi economy”,characterized by excessive consumption of beauty products,compulsive purchases of luxury clothing,resorting to loan sharks for plastic surgery packages,and taking out online loans.College students are particularly susceptible to this trend,often experiencing material consumption alienation and making impulsive purchases in order to enhance their physical attractiveness.Excessive product purchases have become a significant symbol for individuals to enhance their appearance,and blind overspending has become a prevalent way for them to pursue the perfect face value.The current trend of college students prioritizing appearance and material possessions raises questions about the relationship between “beauty” and “money”.Is self-perceived physical attractiveness a significant factor contributing to materialism? If so,what are the underlying mechanisms driving this relationship? Furthermore,what steps can be taken to address these issues effectively? This study delves into the relationship between self-perceived physical attractiveness and materialism,based on the classical social comparison theory.It explores the mechanism of action and offers practical empirical measures and theoretical guidance to intervene in the materialistic behavior of contemporary college students.Study 1 thoroughly explored the correlation between self-perceived physical attractiveness and materialism,as well as the mediating role of social comparison tendencies in this relationship.Questionnaire measures were utilized to obtain data.The findings revealed a significant and positive correlation between self-perceived physical attractiveness and materialism.Moreover,the results showed that the relationship between the two variables was fully mediated by social comparison tendencies.In Study 2,an experimental approach was adopted to investigate the causal link between self-perceived physical attractiveness and explicit materialism,and social comparison tendencies were studied as a mediator in this relationship.The results indicated that individuals who perceived themselves as physically attractive showed higher levels of explicit materialism.Furthermore,social comparison tendencies completely mediated the relationship between self-perceived physical attractiveness and explicit materialism.In Study 3,the same experimental approach as in Study 2 was used to examine the causal relationship between self-perceived physical attractiveness and external and implicit materialism.Two different measures of materialism were employed,along with an investigation of the mediating role of social comparison tendencies between selfperceived physical attractiveness and the two types of materialism.The study found that people who perceived themselves as physically attractive tend to have higher levels of both types of materialism.Additionally,the study found that social comparison tendency played a partial role in mediating the relationship between self-perceived physical attractiveness and both types of materialism.The fourth study chose subjects who scored high on the self-perceived appearance attractiveness scale,based on the results of the first three studies.A scale measure was used to select the top 27% of individuals.In addition,self-affirmation was added as a moderating variable to investigate whether it affected the process by which high selfperceived appearance attractiveness influences both epiphenomenal and implicit materialism through social comparison tendencies.The study discovered that selfaffirmation played a role in affecting the connection between self-perceived attractiveness and materialism,specifically through social comparison tendencies.This effect was observed in the latter half of the pathway,both in terms of epiphenomenal and implicit materialism.The study found that individuals who did not engage in selfaffirmation showed a significant positive correlation with both epiphenomenal and implicit materialism when exhibiting social comparison tendencies.On the other hand,individuals who underwent the self-affirmation intervention showed a significant negative correlation with both epiphenomenal and implicit materialism when exhibiting social comparison tendencies,self-affirmation not only weakens the influence of social comparison tendencies on materialism,but also alters the direction of the influence of social comparison tendencies on materialism.This study examines the relationship between self-perceived physical attractiveness and materialism,using the functional perspective theory of materialism and classical social comparison theory.The study finds that self-perceived physical attractiveness has a positive predictive role in materialism,and that social comparison tendency mediates this relationship.According to self-affirmation theory,the study has confirmed that selfaffirmation can moderate the influence of social comparison tendency on materialism,and suggested that self-affirmation moderated the mediation effect of social comparison tendency on the influence of self-perceived physical attractiveness on materialism.In response to the prevalent materialistic tendencies among college students,it is crucial for society and educators to guide them in developing a healthy perspective towards beauty and materialism.To promote students’ ability to appreciate beauty and reduce social comparison,it is important to foster a comprehensive understanding of self and enrich their spiritual lives through pursuing inner growth.Additional courses related to self-meaning and value affirmation can also be provided to enhance students’ recognition of their self-worth and improve their overall abilities.