Makeup Can Provide a Fleeting ConfidenceBoost to Some
Noone is indifferent to the image in the mirror. At some point between rollingout of bed and stepping out the door, we perform the ritual of grooming.The sociologist Erving Goffman likened grooming to “backstage” preparations in the theater that readyactors for performance and, by pleasing their own eyes, inspire confidence.
In arecent study, my colleagues and I studied the impact of makeup on viewers. Weasked people to rate photographs of women with and without makeup. Seen veryquickly (250 milliseconds), women wearing makeup looked more attractive,likeable, competent and trustworthy to our viewers than those who went withoutit. On longer inspection, responses became varied and nuanced. Faceswith natural makeup were seen favorably but faces with more dramatic makeupwere seen as less trustworthy. Makeup is a powerful but understudied tool.Studies show that it can have significant impact on facial recognition software,and even on the ability to detect the direction of an eye gaze.
But how does makeup make the user feel? Psychologists distinguish between traitand state self-esteem, a stable sense of confidence versus a transient boost.Grooming rituals can be temporary confidence boosters, and studies suggest thatthe confidence they inspire is itself attractive. In one study, men who hadjust sprayed themselves with a scented versus unscented product were judgedmore attractive by women who could not smell them. The men with scented bodyspray simply acted more confidently and thus appeared more visually attractive.
But makeup or any othergrooming product will not be balms for all. Women who feel that makeupuse is obligatory but unwanted, that it requires a forced confrontation withthe mirror when they'd rather put their attention elsewhere, do not feel moreconfident after using it. Research suggests that women can feel objectifiedby makeup, and for such women, any potential advantage may be offset bythe emotional labor of wearing it.
In other words, makeup iswhat you make it of it. It is a choice. Market trends suggest that males arenow surging in self-adornment, and using not only skin products but some colorcosmetics. If so, we’ll need a new set of studies.
ArticleSource: http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/01/02/does-makeup-hurt-self-esteem/makeup-can-provide-a-fleeting-confidence-boost-to-some
ImageSource: http://kikiandtea.com/wp-content/uploads/Makeup.jpg
VOCABULARYWORDS:
Groom (v.) ~ to care for theappearance
Nuance (v.) ~ to give subtledifferences
Gaze (n.) ~ a steady, fixed look
Balm (n.) ~ anything thatheals, soothes, or mitigates pain
Objectify (v.) ~ to presentor regards as an object
Offset (v.) ~ to ｃounterbalance,ｃounteract, or compensate for
QUESTIONSFOR DISCUSSION:
1. For women: Do you wear makeupevery day? Does wearing makeup make you feel more confident about yourself?
2. For men: Do you think thatwomen who wear makeup are more confident? Why?
3. Do you think that physicalappearance affects confidence a lot? Why?
4. Some people think thatwearing makeup is similar with wearing masks, so they think that people whowear makeup can’t be trusted. Do you agree or disagree. Discuss your answer.
