Attitudes towards Plastic Surgery in College Men and Women

Hovan, Margaret Rose (2018) Attitudes towards Plastic Surgery in College Men and Women. Undergraduate thesis, under the direction of Elise Lake from Sociology, University of Mississippi.

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Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine whether exposure to extreme makeover based reality television programs is related to the attitudes of college-aged individuals towards the acceptability of obtaining plastic surgery procedures and how students view plastic surgery itself. Interviews consisting of closed- and open-ended questions measured the possible influence that exposure to plastic surgery reality television programs, familial experience with plastic surgery and parental attitudes towards plastic surgery, among other factors, have on one’s attitudes towards plastic surgery. The data collected were then entered into Qualtrics and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) or coded for common themes to determine significance. This study found that college women have more exposure to plastic surgery reality television programs than college men. Qualitative responses suggest that many college individuals consider having cosmetic surgery private or personal and worry about being judged for having such procedures. The small sample size of the study was limiting in determining the significance of the findings, but analysis revealed many possibilities for future research.

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