Attitudes towards CosmeticSurgeries, Likelihood of Having Cosmetic Surgery and Favorite Sources of Information for Young Adults

Objective. One of the objectives of this study was to see if the attitudes that young adults have towards cosmetic surgery contribute to some extent to increasing the likelihood of following such a procedure in the future. Another goal was to see what are the predominant sources of information for young adults and how much they trust them. Theoretical perspective. In terms of cosmetic surgery, Sarwer's model was taken into account, which mentions body image as the main determinant when people decide to perform a beauty procedure. Regarding the sources of information, we used the tripartite model of influence (certain cultural patterns, attitudes and messages are transmitted by three major sources, namely parents, colleagues and media).

Methodology used. CSAQ (Cosmetic Surgery Attitudes Questionnaire), Likelihood of having cosmetic surgery scale was used, as well as two questionnaires made especially for this study (based on the literature), regarding the sources of information (media vs close physical environment).

Results and conclusions. The results showed that there is a significant positive association between the attitudes towards cosmetic surgery and the likelihood of following such a procedure and a significant positive association between attitudes towards cosmetic surgery and sources of information from the physical close environment. There was no correlation between attitudes and media sources. Also, the source of information that students use most often is the Internet, and the one they trust the most refers to doctors and qualified, specialized staff.


Keywords: sources of information, young adults, cosmetic surgery, attitudes, education, knowledge