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Female Appearance Presentation: Gender Differences in Social Attribution and Situational Choice
Author(s) -
Sweat Sarah J.,
Zentner Mary Ann
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
home economics research journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.372
H-Index - 31
eISSN - 1552-3934
pISSN - 0046-7774
DOI - 10.1177/1077727x8501400201
Subject(s) - attribution , psychology , situational ethics , multivariate analysis of variance , semantic differential , social psychology , style (visual arts) , perspective (graphical) , variance (accounting) , romance , developmental psychology , accounting , archaeology , machine learning , artificial intelligence , computer science , psychoanalysis , business , history
This study investigated the relationship between gender and: (a) attributions toward dramatic, natural, classic, and romantic female appearance styles; and (b) preferences for these styles in situations representing various behavioral con straints. Semantic differential ratings of line drawings depicting the appearance styles were provided by 170 male and 190 female undergraduates. Male percep tions of appropriateness and female wearing preferences among these styles were measured in four hypothetical situations with associated constraints: (a) apart ment complex party, low social; (b) cocktail party, moderate social; (c) average working day, varying occupational; and (d) staff meeting, high occupational. Dimensions of appearance attribution related to traditionality, sociability, for mality, and strength were identified through factor analysis. A two‐way multivar iate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to analyze male and female attri butions toward each appearance style on these dimensions. Significant main effects and interactions were found. Chi‐square and z‐tests indicated that males and females tended to select specific, but not necessarily the same, styles under different constraints. Results were interpreted from the perspective of self‐pre sentation theory.