Psychological Perceptions of Beauty in Advertising: A Qualitative Study of Gujarati Urban Men
1. i
GTU’S ENROLLMENT NO. 137690592039
GTU’S ENROLLMENT NO. 137690592011
A
Comprehensive Project report
On
CONGRUENCE BETWEEN IMAGES/WORDS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL
INTERPRETATION OF WORD “BEAUTY”: A QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION
BASED ON OPINIONS OF GUJARATI URBAN MAN.
Submitted to:
Gujarat Technological University
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS OF THE AWARD FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Under the guidance of:
PROF. (DR.) HARISHCHANDRASINGH RATHOD
Associate Professor (SJPI-NICM)
Submitted by:
GAUTAM M. JOSHI
[Batch: 2013-15, Enrollment No. 137690592039]
KISHAN R. BHALODIYA
[Batch: 2013-15, Enrollment No. 137690592011]
MBA SEMESTER III/IV
SHRI JAIRAMBHAI PATEL INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS
MANAGEMENT AND COMPUTER APPLICATIONS (NICM-MBA)
MBA PROGRAMME
Affiliated to Gujarat Technological University, Ahmedabad.
May, 2015
2. ii
PREFACE
The study was conducted during the period of our comprehensive project
held in the month of Sep-2014 to Apr-2015, which is a part of our curriculum to
get a degree of MBA, which we are pursuing at NICM-SJPI, Gandhinagar,
under the prestigious Gujarat Technological University.
The beginning of any journey is deciding where you want to go. The
beginning of the life you want is deciding first as to what precisely you want in
life. This is the first fundamental & basic step to take in making a successful of
life. Knowledge is power & knowledge is strength & knowledge supplies you
the know-how. To derive full benefit out of your knowledge you must act, work
hard and put in sustained effort, becoming wishes by experience in the process.
The MBA program includes a position devoted to practical study where
by each student is given an opportunity to work on a comprehensive project.
The student is supposed to undertake a project which allows an opportunity to
select the theoretical knowledge taught to practical application besides giving
them a feel of an actual workplace.
The study provides us with the detailed knowledge about the perceptions
of beauty in the minds of Gujarati urban men, which in turn will help
advertisers to find the exact perceptual image of beauty through their
associations with certain images/words.
3. iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We as Students of M.B.A of Shri Jairambhai Patel institute of business
Management and Computer Applications, present our sincere thanks to our
Honourable Director Prof. (Dr) .S.O. Junare for permitting us to undertake the
project as a part of our curriculum.
We must however specially acknowledge our indebtedness to Prof. (Dr.)
Harishchandrasingh Rathod (Associate Professor, NICM-SJPI), who has been a
source of continuous guidance and inspiration to us.
Last but not the least, we would like to thank all the concerned who
knowingly or unknowingly helped us in doing this comprehensive project. Their
co-operation is indeed unplayable by mere thanks.
GAUTAM JOSHI
KISHAN BHALODIYA
4. iv
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The report contains the psychological and qualitative study. The report title is
“CONGRUENCE BETWEEN IMAGES/WORDS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL
INTERPRETATION OF WORD “BEAUTY”: A QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION
BASED ON OPINIONS OF GUJARATI URBAN MEN.”
The report gives an overview of the perceptions of beauty and their different
associations to specific words and images.
This study was conducted to find out the consumer perception about the
Advertisements and the perceptions of beauty and beautiful faces, models, structures,
monuments used in advertisements.
The methodology adopted for the study was through a questionnaire, which is
targeted to different men in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. Based on questionnaire, the survey
of urban men in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar was undertaken. For this purpose the sample
size of 384 was taken. The data collected from different men was analyzed thoroughly and
presented in form of charts and tables.
Advertisers must take the advantage of the study by using the models, images,
structures and scenarios in their advertisements which fits the imagination of beauty in the
minds of Gujarati urban men. This will help in creating brand value for their products and
services, as well as it will make their advertisements instantly acceptable and effective.
The study was a great learning experience resulting in a better understanding of the
Gujarati urban men and their perceptions of beauty.
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TABLE OF CONTENT
SR.NO. TITLE PAGE
NO.
DECLARATION I
CERTIFICATES FROM THE INSTITUTE II
PREFACE III
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IV
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY V
1. BEAUTY & PSYCHOLOGY:AN INTRODUCTION
1.1 Introduction 2
1.2 What s beauty? 3
1.3 Psychological perception of images as reality 3
1.4 Image Manipulation 5
1.5 The powerful impact of beautiful images in advertising 5
1.6 Responsibility of the advertiser 6
1.7 Duty of the customers 7
2. BEAUTY:CONCEPTUAL ROOTS
2.1 Beauty 10
2.2 Facial Symmetry 16
2.3 Female Physical attractiveness 20
3. LITERATURE REVIEW 24
4. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
4.1 Statement of the Problem 36
4.2 Need for the Study 36
4.3 Scope of the Study 36
4.4 Objectives of the Study 37
4.5 Research Design 37
5. DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
5.1 Data Analysis 42
5.2 Analysis of factors influencing beauty perception using Garrett’s ranking
method
71
5.3 Analysis-Statistical tests 85
6 MANAGERIAL IMPLICATION 94
7 COCLUSION 96
8 LIMITATION OF STUDY 98
8 FUTURE RECOMMENDATION 99
ANNEXURE 100
BIBLIOGRAPHY 112
6. vi
LIST OF THE TABLES
SR.NO. TABLE
NUMBERS
TABLE NAME PAGE
NO.
1 5.1.1 Age Group 42
2 5.1.2 Marital status 43
3 5.1.3 Occupation 44
4 5.1.4 Education 45
5 5.1.5 City of Residence 46
6 5.1.6 How important beauty is 47
7 5.1.7 Indian Beauty style Appreciate 48
8 5.1.8 Most beautiful Face shape 49
9 5.1.9 Most beautiful Hair Type 52
10 5.1.10 Most beautiful Hair Colour 53
11 5.1.11 Skin colour making beautiful/ugly 55
12 5.1.12 Most beautiful skin colour 56
13 5.1.13 Media typecasts women 57
14 5.1.14 Soaps/Toiletries Sales 58
15 5.1.15 Fragrances Sales 59
16 5.1.16 Cosmetics Sales 60
17 5.1.17 Male grooming Products Sales 61
18 5.1.18 Consumer Durable Sales 62
19 5.1.19 Cold Drinks Sales 63
20 5.1.20 Eatables-Snacks Sales 64
21 5.1.21 Advertisements with beautiful models/places more
Attractive?
65
22 5.1.22 Advertisements Triggering Purchase Intension 66
23 5.1.23 Colours which defines Beauty 67
24 5.1.24 Cosmetics Brands Representing Beauty 69
25 5.2.1 Percentage position and garrett value Q4 71
26 5.2.2 Preferences for Characteristics Defining Beauty Q4 72
27 5.2.3 Percentage position and garrett value (remaining
ranking question)
73
28 5.2.4 Association of words with beauty 74
29 5.2.5 Monuments/Structures Catagory 75
30 5.2.6 Nature Category 77
31 5.2.7 Faces/Beauty Category 79
32 5.2.8 Pets/Animals Category 81
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LIST OF FIGURES:
SR.NO FIGURE
NUMBERS
FIGURE NAME PAGE
NO.
1 5.1.1 Age Group 41
2 5.1.2 Marital status 42
3 5.1.3 Occupation 44
4 5.1.4 Education 45
5 5.1.5 City of Residence 46
6 5.1.6 How important beauty is 47
7 5.1.7 Indian Beauty style Appreciate 48
8 5.1.8 Most beautiful Face shape 50
9 5.1.9 Most beautiful Hair Type 52
10 5.1.10 Most beautiful Hair Colour 54
11 5.1.11 Skin colour making beautiful/ugly 55
12 5.1.12 Most beautiful skin colour 56
13 5.1.13 Media typecasts women 57
14 5.1.14 Soaps/Toiletries Sales 58
15 5.1.15 Fragrances Sales 59
16 5.1.16 Cosmetics Sales 60
17 5.1.17 Male grooming Products Sales 61
18 5.1.18 Consumer Durable Sales 62
19 5.1.19 Cold Drinks Sales 63
20 5.1.20 Eatables-Snacks Sales 64
21 5.1.21 Advertisements with beautiful models/places
more Attractive?
65
22 5.1.22 Advertisements Triggering Purchase Intension 66
23 5.1.23 Colours which defines Beauty 68
24 5.1.24 Cosmetics Brands Representing Beauty 70
9. 1
1.
BEAUTY AND PSYCHOLOGY:
ANINTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS BEAUTY?
PSYCHOLOGICAL PERCEPTION OF IMAGES AS
REALITY
IMAGE MANIPULATION
THE POWERFUL IMPACT OF BEAUTIFUL IMAGES
IN ADVERTISING
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ADVERTISER
DUTY OF THE CUSTOMERS
10. 2
In educated societies, the human brain has been trained to analyze text in a way that a
reader is able to interpret writing as whatever he or she sees in the meaning of the words by
analyzing the context in which the text was written. Through teaching people to read and
analyze literature, the educated society has become more accustomed to picking apart the
words they are reading. That same process, however, does not hold true for the human
perception of images. Through societal norms, we have grown accustomed to accept images
as truth without using the same analytical process to pick apart images in the way we do text.
The human perception of “truth in images” plays a major role in the modern day trend of
manipulating photographs. In this increasingly digital age, photographs can be manipulated to
portray an illusion of whatever the manipulator wants the picture to be. This can be especially
prevalent in print advertising, where the main goal is to influence the needs or desires of a
consumer with persuasive images.
Given the premise that the human process images as truth without taking the time to be
critical. Advertisers have a duty to present images in a genuine form in order to avoid falsely
misleading a consumer.
However, the basic foundation of advertising is its creatively persuasive nature.
Consequentially, the end result of stimulating a desire in the consumer for a certain product
justifies the means of advertisers using creativity to essentially “sell” their idea to the
consumer. Hence, the consumer has an equally important duty to be more critical of
advertisements as well as a responsibility for his/her own actions in response.
The dilemma is that modern day consumers are not engaging in being a critical audience
of advertisements the way they should be. This uneducated consumer population creates the
dilemma that consumers are being misguided by images and believe that the images are
truthful, at a possible harm to themselves. The manipulation of images by advertisers not only
misrepresents the truth, but also guides these untrained consumers to believe an un‐true
statement about a product. This can lead to potential harm if consumers don’t take a more
active duty in evaluating images in advertisements more carefully and realize that
advertisements are manipulative and persuasive by nature.
Therefore, the deontological standard of ethics lays somewhere between the duty of the
advertiser to be aware of the human perception of “truth in images” as well as the duty of the
consumers to be more educated and critical of how they analyze the advertisements presented
to them in everyday life.
1.1 INTRODUCTION
11. 3
Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in the mirror.
— Kahlil Gibran, the Prophet
Throughout history, humankind has been obsessed with beauty. Beauty serves as an object of
reverence, an impetus for action, a source of inspiration, and a prize to be sought after.
Mythology tells of how Helen of Troy’s face had a beauty that set a thousand ships in motion
and stimulated a war. Scriptures reveal how the Jewess Hadassah had a beauty that crowned
her as Queen Esther of Persia. The night sky displays stars with a beauty that draws the
astronomer to scrutinize and unite them into constellations. Nature parades sunsets with a
beauty that inspires the artist to produce magnificent creation.
The power of beauty is ubiquitously visible: in humans, it aids the celebrity’s rise to fame and
confers advantageous salaries2 while in buildings3 and nature; it draws admiring travellers
from distant locations.
“Visually the majority of us are still ‘object‐minded’ and not ‘relation‐minded’… the
language of vision determines, perhaps even more subtly and thorough Lytham verbal
language, the structure of our consciousness.”
Education in literature has created a more critical audience that interprets writing in a
multitude of different ways. Imagine reading an article relating to modern day politics.
Automatically, as a reader, we are taught to analyze the words for context and different
implications of what the author is really trying to say. One might ask: “Who is writing it?”,
“What is their political stance and party affiliation?”, “What do they want me to learn?” and
finally, “What am I going to take away from this?”
After reading an article and analyzing the different ways it can be interpreted based on
context, one can decide whether or not to agree with the author’s statements as they are going
through this process and walk away with an educated decision to create his/her own
viewpoint.
1.2 WHAT IS BEAUTY?
1.3 PSYCHOLOGICAL PERCEPTION OF IMAGES AS REALITY
12. 4
However, humans have not been trained to evaluate images in the same analytical process.
We have learned to accept a picture or photograph for what it is. We don’t take the time to
step back and analyze the context of the picture, its ability to be manipulated, or the point of
view the photographer is trying to portray. Society as a whole processes photographic images
as truth and does not promote a sceptical and analytical viewing audience.
Recent evidence in perception and cognition demonstrates the importance of visual
perception and that, “Our eyes are wondrous windows to the world. The last of our senses to
evolve and the most sophisticated, they are our main source of information about the world,
sending more data to the nervous system than any other sense.” In fact, the human brain
processes images in a way that triggers emotion and instinctive interpretation of reality.
Instantaneously, when presented with an image, the human brain has been taught to interpret
the image as reality and react immediately with instinctive emotions. The way we interpret
images as reality is explained in J. J. Gibson’s theory. He explains the concept of the “visual
field” which is the process of light reflections coming into our eyes and the “visual world”
which interprets these patterns of light as reality. In the “visual world” we interpret images as
our own perception of reality without further analyzing the context. These images move
freely from the visual field to the visual world without entering a stage of analytical
processing.
Furthermore, Neuroscientist Joseph LeDoux’s study suggests that we respond emotionally to
viewing something before we can think them through. This study shows that the process of
the brain works in such a way that signals coming into the eye travel to the thalamus and then
to the amygdala (a part of the brain that plays a vital role in emotional responses) before a
second signal is even sent to the neocortex. In more common terms, this simply means our
brain works in a way in which we react emotionally to things we see before we are even able
to think about them. Therefore, according to Gibson, images are presented to the brain and
interpreted as reality, and as LeDoux suggests, humans automatically react with emotions.
Summed up, the human brain has been trained to interpret images as reality while
simultaneously reacting in an emotional sense. This triggers a problem when consumers stick
to these initial instinctive emotional responses. What consumers should be doing is taking a
step back and re‐evaluating the situation more critically after the initial emotional reaction to
give them time to process their thoughts more clearly.
13. 5
It had its genesis in a growing concern that portrayals of female beauty in popular culture
were helping to perpetuate an idea of beauty that was neither authentic nor attainable.
In the press, standards have been set on images to ensure their accuracy, because of the
viewer’s reliance on the truth of the photographs. However, this controversy has also come
up in advertising, especially real estate. Certain aspects of a home or its surrounding areas
can be edited to make the property look more desirable and therefore sell better. Power lines
can be removed, colours can be made more vivid and dull parts of the house can be digitally
touched up. Again, this idea of image manipulation would not be such an immense issue if
the images were not interpreted as reality. However, since images are perceived to be a
reality, manipulation of the genuine content of those images creates dishonest and deceiving
information to a non‐analytical consumer.
The fact that the brain processes images in a way that we react quickly with emotional
responses means that the powerful effect public images can have on society and the
individual need to be considered. Dr. Julianne Newton, a visual journalism professor at the
University of Oregon, said, "Images affect memory, and behaviour, and values. Images affect
what you believe about yourself, about others, and about the world out there. Images are
powerful, and visual ethics is about the appropriate use of beautiful images. Consumers are
exposed to images used in advertisements every day. Often times, these advertisements can
create false beliefs about what society considers beautiful, “cool” or what “everyone else is
doing”. The concept of “self – identity image” ads explores the idea of the powerful impact
advertisements have on an individual. These types of ads portray an image that the individual
relates to or compares themselves with. They create an idealized image of a person who
typically represents a user of the product. An example might be a “sex appeal” advertisement
in which a thin, flawless, “beautiful” woman is portrayed in the picture, attempting to sell a
product based on the association with the beautiful individual. Many women will relate to
that image and see themselves as imperfect or needing to be more like the woman in the ad.
This can produce potentially harmful psychological effects on the woman viewing the ad.
1.4 IMAGE MANIPULATION
1.5 THE POWERFUL IMPACT OF BEAUTIFUL IMAGES IN ADVERTISING
14. 6
This also creates a moral dilemma about the creation of the manipulated image, because the
woman now will compare herself to a false image. The moral questions to ask when creating
such an advertisement should be: whether or not the ad makes misleading promises, if it
promotes false values, if it causes harm, and if it threatens the autonomy of the individual.
The basic idea behind “self‐identity image” advertising is that it is meant to create a feeling
of association with the ad, and its powerful implications can cause a consumer to believe
what is being presented to them. A woman might believe that if she uses the product, she too
will fit this societal perception of “beauty”. These types of images can have a negative effect
on an individual’s self esteem or create a mental illusion that he/she must conform to the
pressures implied in the advertisement.
In modern day, advertisements do have an increasingly powerful impact on individual
consumers and the way they think. However, consumers are constantly allowing
advertisements to affect their decisions and thought processes. This brings up the idea that it
is both the responsibility of marketers and consumers to understand the amount of power that
consumers are giving images. After their initial reaction to an ad, the consumer must realize
what they are doing and step back from allowing them to be vulnerable. Also, advertisers
need to be conscious of the possibility that images could have a large effect they have on a
consumer’s viewpoint.
As a result of consumers identifying with images and perceiving them as reality, marketers
have an ethical responsibility to present the images in a way that avoids falsely misleading a
consumer to believe something that is not true. This type of ethical behaviour is based on
deontological ethics or the marketer’s “duty” to have good intentions behind the creation of
their advertisements as well as a “duty to society” to present images as facts. Deontological
moral systems are characterized by the idea that in order to make the correct moral choices,
we have to understand what our moral duties are. Furthermore, there is a need to evaluate
what motivations are pushing actions and if these motivations have good intention.
“Marketing textbooks state that consumers buy a product in the hopes that it will move them
some way from their "real self” to their "ideal self” (Beckman 1992).” Once marketers realize
this power to affect consumer’s perceptions, they have a responsibility to present their
1.6 RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ADVERTISER
15. 7
advertising images in an honest way.
However, the basic foundation of advertising and marketing is to utilize creativity and
innovation to stimulate a need in the consumer. Therefore, persuasive imaging and inventive
messaging must be a contributing part to a marketer’s efforts. Given this standard
establishment of what it means to be a creative marketer, their artistic and influential nature
must be present, but it must also be seeded in honesty and good moral intentions.
Consequentiality ethical theories base the morality of an action to be based on the
consequences that result. In advertising, depicting an image in a manipulative way may result
in consequences of a consumer identifying with false beliefs. For example, an image of a
woman put into Photoshop and airbrushed to become flawless, may consequentially lead a
woman consumer to believe that the product in the ad will help her become more like the
woman in the image. However, in the creative realm of marketing, the end goal is to sell a
product. Therefore, the end result justifies the means of stimulating these types of beliefs in a
consumer. At this point, the duty switches over to the consumer to realize that in order to not
subject oneself be a “mean to the marketers end” consumers must learn to be more critical of
what is actually being sold in the advertisement and what the actual context is of the image
presented.
Beyond the duty of the marketer to depict an accurate portrayal of images presented to the
public, the consumer has a much greater responsibility to become a more critical and
analytical audience of advertisements. Like our earlier discussion on the extent to which
readers analyze the context and meaning of written word, consumers need to start to use the
same type of analytical tools to view and process images.
Although the brain reacts instinctively with emotions before we even have time to think about
it, consumers need to take a step back and think through the situation after the first emotional
response. You cannot control first instinct emotional responses. Our brain has been
engineered in a way to react emotionally before we think to enable humans to survive in
intense situations. However, after that initial emotional reaction, consumers can take a step
back and actually think through what was presented to them and decide how they are going to
ultimately react to the situation. Hence, consumers now have a certain duty to become more
1.7 DUTY OF THE CONSUMERS
16. 8
involved in dissecting advertisements after their first reaction. John Douglas Bishop suggests
that in “self‐identity”image ads, the goal of the marketing strategy is for the product to
become a symbol” of an ideal person or ideal situation. If consumers are trained to be a
critical audience, they can choose to accept or reject the symbolism. This is also largely due
to the fact that the wide array of image ads available. This variety of advertisements allows
the consumer to have the autonomy to choose which value to identify with. A consumer’s
own self‐will can direct the outcome of those types of decisions. Furthermore, although
people are exposed to advertisements on a consistent basis, ads do not have any authoritative
power and therefore cannot restrict human free will to decide our own behaviours. Humans
still have the innate will to make our own decisions and interpretations. Therefore, a human
has the ability to look at an ad and decide how to accept and interpret the image.
Lastly, if consumers are concerned with the way they are being affected by the images in
advertisements, they have a responsibility to educate themselves on how to be more critical.
Although it is difficult to decipher if the image was digitally manipulated, a consumer can
still ask themselves, “What is the message the marketers are trying to get me to believe?”
“What are they actually selling?” or “Does this image accurately portray a realistic view of
what the product can do or is it exaggerated for persuasive purposes?” Once a consumer is
more conscious of the implications behind the advertisement, they can understand the context
of the images in the same way readers understand the context of an article. It is therefore the
responsibility of the consumer not to view themselves as “victims of the system” but to take
proactive steps to learn more about the background of the message that an advertising
strategy is trying to portray.
18. 10
Beauty is a characteristic of a person, animal, place, object, or idea that provides a perceptual
experience of pleasure or satisfaction. Beauty is studied as part of aesthetics, sociology, social
psychology, and culture. An "ideal beauty" is an entity which is admired, or possesses
features widely attributed to beauty in a particular culture, for perfection.
The experience of "beauty" often involves an interpretation of some entity as being in balance
and harmony with nature, which may lead to feelings of attraction and emotional well-being.
Because this can be a subjective experience, it is often said that "beauty is in the eye of the
beholder."
There is evidence that perceptions of beauty are evolutionarily determined, that things,
aspects of people and landscapes considered beautiful are typically found in situations likely
to give enhanced survival of the perceiving human's genes.
Rayonnant rose window in Notre
Dame de Paris. In Gothic
architecture, light was considered
the most beautiful revelation of God.
ETYMOLOGY
The classical Greek noun for "beauty" was kallos, and the adjective for "beautiful" was kalos.
The Koine Greek word for beautiful was hōraios, an adjective etymologically coming from
the word hōra, meaning "hour". In Koine Greek, beauty was thus associated with "being of
one's hour”. Thus, a ripe fruit (of its time) was considered beautiful, whereas a young woman
trying to appear older or an older woman trying to appear younger would not be considered
beautiful. In Attic Greek, hōraios had many meanings, including "youthful" and "ripe old
age".
2.1 BEAUTY
19. 11
HISTORICAL VIEW OF BEAUTY
Florence, cathedral and dome. Since the
Renaissance in Europe, harmony, symmetry and
correct proportions are considered essential
elements of universal beauty.
There is evidence that a preference for beautiful
faces emerges early in child development, and that
the standards of attractiveness are similar across
different genders and cultures. A study published in 2008 suggests that symmetry is also
important because it suggests the absence of genetic or acquired defects.
Although style and fashion vary widely, cross-cultural research has found a variety of
commonalities in people's perception of beauty. The earliest Western theory of beauty can be
found in the works of early Greek philosophers from the pre-Socratic period, such as
Pythagoras. The Pythagorean School saw a strong connection between mathematics and
beauty. In particular, they noted that objects proportioned according to the golden ratio
seemed more attractive. Ancient Greek architecture is based on this view of symmetry and
proportion.
Plato considered beauty to be the Idea (Form) above all other Ideas. Aristotle saw a
relationship between the beautiful (to kalon) and virtue, arguing that "Virtue aims at the
beautiful."
Classical philosophy and sculptures of men and women produced according to the Greek
philosophers' tenets of ideal human beauty were rediscovered in Renaissance Europe, leading
to a re-adoption of what became known as a "classical ideal". In terms of female human
20. 12
beauty, a woman whose appearance conforms to these tenets is still called a "classical
beauty" or said to possess a "classical beauty", whilst the foundations laid by Greek and
Roman artists have also supplied the standard for male beauty in western civilization. During
the Gothic era, the classical aesthetical canon of beauty was rejected as sinful. Later, the
Renaissance and Humanism rejected this view, and considered beauty as a product of rational
order and harmony of proportions. Renaissance artists and architect (such as Giorgio Vasari
in his "lives of artists") criticized the Gothic period as irrational and barbarian. This point of
view over Gothic art lasted until Romanticism, in the 19th century.
The Age of Reason saw a rise in an interest in beauty as a philosophical subject. For example,
Scottish philosopher Francis Hutcheson argued that beauty is "unity in variety and variety in
unity". The Romantic poets, too, became highly concerned with the nature of beauty, with
John Keats arguing in "Ode on a Grecian Urn" that Beauty is truth, truth beauty, —that is all.
We know on earth, and all ye need to know.
In the Romantic period, Edmund Burke postulated a difference between beauty in its classical
meaning and the sublime. The concept of the sublime, as explicated by Burke and Kant,
suggested viewing Gothic art and architecture, though not in accordance with the classical
standard of beauty, as sublime.
The 20th century saw an increasing rejection of beauty by artists and philosophers alike,
culminating in postmodernism's anti-aesthetics. This is despite beauty being a central concern
of one of postmodernism's main influences, Friedrich Nietzsche, who argued that the Will to
Power was the Will to Beauty.
In the aftermath of postmodernism's rejection of beauty, thinkers have returned to beauty as
an important value. American analytic philosopher Guy Sir cello proposed his New Theory of
Beauty as an effort to reaffirm the status of beauty as an important philosophical concept.
Elaine Scarry also argues that beauty is related to justice.
21. 13
HUMAN BEAUTY
Grace Kelly in Rear Window
The characterization of a person as “beautiful”, whether on an individual basis or by
community consensus, is often based on some combination of inner beauty, which includes
psychological factors such as personality, intelligence, grace, politeness, charisma, integrity,
congruence and elegance, and outer beauty (i.e. physical attractiveness) which includes
physical attributes which are valued on an aesthetic basis.
Standards of beauty have changed over time, based on changing cultural values. Historically,
paintings show a wide range of different standards for beauty. However, humans who are
relatively young, with smooth skin, well-proportioned bodies, and regular features, have
traditionally been considered the most beautiful throughout history.
A strong indicator of physical beauty is "averageness", or "koinophilia". When images of
human faces are averaged together to form a composite image, they become progressively
closer to the "ideal" image and are perceived as more attractive. This was first noticed in
1883, when Francis Galton, cousin of Charles Darwin, overlaid photographic composite
images of the faces of vegetarians and criminals to see if there was a typical facial appearance
for each. When doing this, he noticed that the composite images were more attractive
compared to any of the individual images.
Fresco of a Roman woman from Pompeii,
C. 50 AD
22. 14
Researchers have replicated the result under more controlled conditions and found that the
computer generated, mathematical average of a series of faces is rated more favourably than
individual faces. Evolutionarily, it makes logical sense that sexual creatures should be
attracted to mates who possess predominantly common or average features.
A feature of beautiful women that has been explored by researchers is a waist–hip ratio of
approximately 0.70. Physiologists have shown that women with hourglass figures are more
fertile than other women due to higher levels of certain female hormones, a fact that may
subconsciously condition males choosing mates.
People are influenced by the images they see in the media to determine what is or is not
beautiful. Some feminists and doctors have suggested that the very thin models featured in
magazines promote eating disorders, and others have argued that the predominance of white
women featured in movies and advertising leads to a Eurocentric concept of beauty, feelings
of inferiority in women of colour, and internalized racism. The black is beautiful cultural
movement sought to dispel this notion.
The concept of beauty in men is known as 'bishōnen' in Japan. Bishōnen refers to males with
distinctly feminine features, physical characteristics establishing the standard of beauty in
Japan and typically exhibited in their pop culture idols. A multi-billion-dollar industry of
Japanese Aesthetic Salons exists for this reason.
Chinese Jade ornament with flower
Design, Jin Dynasty (1115–1234 AD),
Shanghai Museum
Beauty presents a standard of comparison, and it can cause resentment and dissatisfaction
when not achieved. People who do not fit the "beauty ideal" may be ostracized within their
communities. The television sitcom Ugly Betty portrays the life of a girl faced with hardships
due to society's unwelcoming attitudes toward those they deem unattractive. However, a
23. 15
person may also be targeted for harassment because of their beauty. In Malèna, a strikingly
beautiful Italian woman is forced into poverty by the women of the community who refuse to
give her work for fear that she may "woo" their husbands. The documentary Beauty in the
Eyes of the Beheld explores both the societal blessings and curses of female beauty through
interviews of women considered beautiful.
Researchers have found that good looking students get higher grades from their teachers than
students with an ordinary appearance. Some studies using mock criminal trials have shown
that physically attractive "defendants" are less likely to be convicted—and if convicted are
likely to receive lighter sentences—than less attractive ones (although the opposite effect was
observed when the alleged crime was swindling, perhaps because jurors perceived the
defendant's attractiveness as facilitating the crime).Studies among teens and young adults,
such as those of psychiatrist and self-help author, Eva Ritvo, show that skin conditions have a
profound effect on social behaviour and opportunity.
How much money a person earns may also be influenced by physical beauty. One study
found that people low in physical attractiveness earn 5 to 10 percent less than ordinary
looking people, who in turn earn 3 to 8 percent less than those who are considered good
looking. In the market for loans, the least attractive people are less likely to get approvals,
although they are less likely to default. In the marriage market, women's looks are at a
premium, but men's looks do not matter much.
Conversely, being very unattractive increases the individual’s propensity for criminal activity
for a number of crimes ranging from burglary to theft to selling illicit drugs. Unattractive
individuals commit more crime in comparison to average-looking ones, and very attractive
individuals commit less crime in comparison to those who are average looking.
Discrimination against others based on their appearance is known as lookism. St. Augustine
said of beauty "Beauty is indeed a good gift of God; but that the good may not think it a great
good, God dispenses it even to the wicked."
24. 16
UGLINESS
Ugliness is a property of a person or thing that is unpleasant to look upon and results in a
highly unfavourable evaluation. To be ugly is to be aesthetically unattractive, repulsive, or
offensive.
People who appear ugly to others suffer well-documented discrimination, earning 10 to 15
percent less per year than similar workers, and are less likely to be hired for almost any job,
but lack legal recourse to fight discrimination.
For some people, ugliness is a central aspect of their persona. Jean-Paul Sartre had a lazy eye
and a bloated, asymmetrical face, and he attributed many of his philosophical ideas to his
lifelong struggle to come to terms with his self-described ugliness. Socrates also used his
ugliness as a philosophical touch point, concluding that philosophy can save us from our
outward ugliness. Famous in his own time for his perceived ugliness, Abraham Lincoln was
described by a contemporary: "to say that he is ugly is nothing; to add that his figure is
grotesque, is to convey no adequate impression." However, his looks proved to be an asset in
his personal and political relationships, as his law partner William Herndon wrote, "He was
not a pretty man by any means, nor was he an ugly one; he was a homely man, careless of his
looks, plain-looking and plain-acting. He had no pomp, display, or dignity, so-called. He
appeared simple in his carriage and bearing. He was a sad-looking man; his melancholy
dripped from him as he walked. His apparent gloom impressed his friends, and created
sympathy for him—one means of his great success."
2.2 FACIAL SYMMETRY
25. 17
While symmetrical faces are perceived to be attractive, completely symmetric faces are
disconcerting and are not perceived as normal.
Facial symmetry is one specific measure of bodily asymmetry. Along with traits such as
averageness and youthfulness it influences judgments of aesthetic traits of physical
attractiveness and beauty. It is also associated with health and genetic fitness. Facial
symmetry has been suggested as a possible physical manifestation of the 'big-five' personality
traits. For example, it is found that extraversion and openness are strongly associated with the
symmetry of the face. Hormones such as testosterone and estrogens are believed to be
associated with developmental processes and growth of facial features during puberty and as
a result are hypothesized to be the cause for individual differences in the implications
associated with facial symmetry. Facial bilateral symmetry is measured via fluctuating
asymmetry of the face comparing random differences in facial features of the two sides of the
face that develop and accumulate throughout one's lifetime as a result of stressors.
Facial symmetry is a key component of human
perceptions of attractiveness (Gisele Bündchen)
Facial symmetry has been shown to have an effect of ratings of attractiveness in human faces.
More symmetrical faces are perceived as more attractive in both males and females, although
facial symmetry plays a larger role in judgments of attractiveness concerning female faces. A
wide variety of methods has been used to examine the claim that facial symmetry plays a role
in judgments of beauty. Blending of multiple faces to create a composite and face-half
mirroring has been among the techniques used. While studies employing the first method
produced results that indicate that more symmetrical faces are perceived as more attractive,
studies applying the later method have indicated that humans prefer slight asymmetry. Also
studies show that nearly symmetrical faces are considered highly attractive compared to
unsymmetrical ones, yet more specifically, people tend to find a face unattractive if a person
has an unsymmetrical nose, and effect of unsymmetrical lips do not really affect people on
judging attractiveness. The most conspicuous directional asymmetries are sometimes only
26. 18
temporary. For example, during speech, most people (76%) tend to express greater amplitude
of movement on the right side of their mouth. His is most likely caused by the uneven
strengths of contra lateral neural connections between the left hemisphere of the brain
(linguistic localization) and the right side of the face. This has led to the emergence of the
theory that initial findings that facial symmetry plays a role in judgments of attractiveness are
merely due to artifacts created when blending faces, such as a smoother skin texture.
However this claim has been refuted, as it has been shown that mirroring face-halves creates
artificial features. For example if the nose of an individual is slightly bent to the right side,
then mirroring the right side of the face will lead to an over-sized nose, while mirroring the
left side will lead to an unnaturally small nose. Therefore facial symmetry’s role in judgments
of attractiveness is no longer disputed, as the method providing confounding evidence has
been proven to be faulty.
Evolutionary theorists in biology and psychology argue that more symmetric faces are
preferred because symmetry is a possible honest sign of superior genetic quality and
developmental stability. However it is possible that high facial symmetry in an individual is
not due to their superior genetics but due to a lack of exposure to stressors during
development. This potentially confounding source of facial symmetry is not explored in the
literature. The notion that facial symmetry is viewed by humans as an indicator of ‘good
genes’ is supported by experiments demonstrating that more symmetrical faces are rated as
healthier than less symmetrical faces. Additionally, asymmetry can be fluctuated by
increasing health challenges during growth. As a result, phenotypic quality and how well an
individual’s genome can fight disease and uphold normal development can be indicated by
symmetry.
Facial symmetry is also a valid marker of cognitive aging. Progressive changes occurring
throughout life in the soft tissues of the face will cause more prominent facial asymmetry in
older faces. Therefore, symmetrical transformation of older faces generally increases their
attractiveness while symmetrical transformation in young adults and children will decrease
their attractiveness. Males with more symmetric faces in old age have higher intelligence and
are more efficient at information processing than males with less symmetric faces. This is
possibly due to the better genes leading to more resistance against stressors in life which is
then reflected in less accumulated fluctuating asymmetry.
27. 19
Non-scientific theories of attraction and symmetry abound. Symmetry of each face is
evaluated by human brain while the face recognition process. This fast and effective detection
is difficult with computer programs. For instance the conjunction "of similar and related parts
that are to some extent contrasted to one another" has been considered to have the most
aesthetic appeal. Likewise shared features echoism, proportions and similarity to people the
person bonded to early in life (prima copulism) have been suggested as relevant.
RELATIONSHIP TO PERSONALITY
Research indicates that facial symmetry is linked to the ‘big-five’ model of personality. The
most consistent finding is that facial symmetry is positively correlated with extraversion,
indicating that individuals with more symmetric faces are also more extroverted. More
symmetrical faces are also judged to be lower on neuroticism but higher on conscientiousness
and agreeableness. More symmetrical faces are also more likely to have more desirable social
attributes assigned to them, such as sociable, intelligent or lively.
However, the relationship of facial symmetry and the ‘big-five’ personality model remains
somewhat unclear with regard to neuroticism, openness, agreeableness and
conscientiousness. While the previously described studies lead to the expectations that more
symmetrical faces will be higher on extraversion, openness, agreeableness and
conscientiousness, and lower on neuroticism, these expectations were not confirmed
empirically. Openness and agreeableness appear to be significantly negatively related to
facial symmetry, while neuroticism and conscientiousness do not seem to be linked to facial
symmetry. The relationship of facial symmetry and the ‘big-five’ personality model requires
further examination in order to allow for complete conclusions to be drawn.
Recent study shows the association of trustworthiness and with symmetry on the face. People
are biologically evolved to detect the deceptive intention of other people by observing the
asymmetry in the face. When people are lying, their facial muscles become imbalanced.
28. 20
FACIAL AVERAGENESS VS. SYMMETRY
Facial symmetry is considered to be among many other characteristics related to health,
beauty and facial and physical attractiveness. However there is dispute of whether increased
facial attractiveness is solely due to changes in symmetry or averageness. Experiments show
that symmetry and averageness make independent contributions to overall attractiveness.
Averageness remains a significant predictor of attractiveness when the effect of symmetry
was excluded. The results of these experiments rejected that the attractiveness of facial
configurations could be solely due to associated changes in symmetry, and strengthened the
evidence that facial averageness is attractive.
Research indicates that heterosexual men tend to be attracted to young and beautiful women
with bodily symmetry. Rather than decreasing it, modernity has only increased the emphasis
men place on women's looks. Evolutionary psychologists attribute such attraction to an
evaluation of the fertility potential in a prospective mate.
FACIAL FEATURES
A University of Toronto study found that ideal
facial proportions of Jessica Alba were close to
the average of all female profiles.
Research has attempted to determine which facial features communicate attractiveness. Facial
symmetry has been shown to be considered attractive in women, and men have been found to
prefer full lips, high forehead, broad face, small chin, small nose, short and narrow jaw, high
cheekbones, clear and smooth skin, and wide-set eyes. The shape of the face in terms of "how
everything hangs together" is an important determinant of beauty. A University of Toronto
study found correlations between facial measurements and attractiveness; researchers varied
2.3 FEMALE PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS
29. 21
the distance between eyes, and between eyes and mouth, in different drawings of the same
female face, and had the drawings evaluated; they found there were ideal proportions
perceived as attractive .These proportions (46% and 36%) were close to the average of all
female profiles. Women with thick, dark limbal rings in their eyes have also been found to be
more attractive. The explanation given is that because the ring tends to fade with age and
medical problems, a prominent limbal ring gives an honest indicator of youth.
In computer face averaging tests, women with averaged faces have been shown to be
considered more attractive. This is possibly due to average features being more familiar and,
therefore, more comfortable.
Commenting on the prevalence of whiteness in supposed beauty ideals in his book White
Lies: Race and the Myth of Whiteness, Maurice Berger states that the schematic rendering in
the idealized face of a study conducted with American subjects had "straight hair," "light
skin," "almond-shaped eyes," "thin, arched eyebrows," "a long, thin nose, closely set and tiny
nostrils" and "a large mouth and thin lips", though the author of the study stated that there
was consistency between his results and those conducted on other races. Scholar Liu Jieyu
says in the article White Collar Beauties, "The criterion of beauty is both arbitrary and
gendered. The implicit consensus is that women who have fair skin and a slim figure with
symmetrical facial features are pretty." He says that all of these requirements are socially
constructed and force people to change themselves to fit these criterion.
YOUTHFULNESS
Cross-cultural data shows that the reproductive success of women is tied to their youth and
physical attractiveness such as the pre-industrial Sami where the most reproductively
successful women were 15 years younger than their man. One study covering 37 cultures
showed that, on average, a woman was 2.5 years younger than her male partner, with the age
difference in Nigeria and Zambia being at the far extreme of 6.5 to 7.5 years. As men age,
they tend to seek a mate who is ever younger.
25%of eHarmony's male customers over the age of 50 request to only be matched with
women younger than 40.A 2010 Occupied study of 200,000 users found that female
desirability to its male user’s peaks at age 21, and falls below the average for all women at
30. 22
31. After age 26 men have a larger potential dating pool than women on the site; by 48 their
pool is almost twice as large. The median 31 years-old male user searches for women aged 22
to 35, while the median 42 years-old male searches for women 27 to 45. The age skew is
even greater with messages to other users; the median 30 years-old male messages teenage
girls as often as women his own age, while mostly ignoring women a few years older than
him.
Excluding the most and least beautiful 10% of women, however, women's attractiveness does
not change between 18 and 40.
HEIGHT
Most women tend to be shorter than their male partner. It has been found that, in Western
societies, most men prefer shorter women, although a difference in height between a man and
a woman was not as important of a factor for men when choosing a woman, as it is for a
woman choosing a man. Men tend to view taller women as less attractive, and people view
heterosexual couples where the woman is taller to be less ideal. Women who are 0.7 to 1.7
standard deviations below the mean female height have been reported to be the most
reproductively successful, since fewer tall women get married compared to shorter women.
However, in other ethnic groups, such as the Hadza, study has found that height is irrelevant
in choosing a mate.
HAIR
Women mostly associate beauty with long hair..An evolutionary psychology explanation for
this is that malnutrition and deficiencies in minerals and vitamins causes loss of hair or hair
changes. Hair therefore indicates health and nutrition during the last 2–3 years. Lustrous hair
is also often a cross-cultural preference.
SKIN TONE AND SKIN RADIANCE
A preference for lighter-skinned women has remained prevalent over time, even in cultures
without European contact, though exceptions have been found. Anthropologist Peter Frost
stated that since higher-ranking men were allowed to marry the perceived more attractive
women, who tended to have fair skin, the upper classes of a society generally tended to
develop a lighter complexion than the lower classes by sexual selection. In contrast, one
31. 23
study on men of the Bikosso tribe in Cameroon found no preference for attractiveness of
females based on lighter skin colour, bringing into question the universality of earlier studies
that had exclusively focused on skin colour preferences among non-African populations.
Today, skin bleaching is not uncommon in parts of the world such as Africa, and a preference
for lighter-skinned women generally holds true for African Americans, Latin Americans, and
Asians. One exception to this has been in contemporary Western culture, where tanned skin
used to be associated with the sun-exposed manual labour of the lower-class, but has
generally been considered more attractive and healthier since the mid-20th century.
More recent work has extended skin colour research beyond preferences for lightness,
arguing that redder and yellower skin has healthier appearance. These preferences have been
attributed to higher levels of red oxygenated blood in the skin, which is associated with
aerobic fitness and lack of cardiac and respiratory illnesses, and to higher levels of yellow-red
antioxidant carotenoids in the skin, indicative of more fruit and vegetables in the diet and,
possibly more efficient immune and reproductive systems.
Research has additionally shown that skin radiance or glowing skin indicates health, thus skin
radiance influences perception of beauty and physical attractiveness.
EYES
A study where photographs of several women were manipulated (so that their faces would be
shown with either the natural eye colour of the model or with the other colour) showed that,
in average, brown-eyed men have no preference regarding eye colour, but blue-eyed men
prefer women of the same eye colour.
A study that investigated whether or not an eyelid crease makes Chinese-descent women
more attractive using photo-manipulated photographs of young Chinese-descent women's
eyes found that the "medium upper eyelid crease" was considered most attractive by all three
groups of both sexes: white people, Chinese and Taiwanese nationals together as a group and
Taiwanese and Chinese Americans together as a group. Similarly, all three groups of both
genders found the absence of an eye crease to be least attractive on Chinese women.
33. 25
Langmeyer, Shank (1994) used a qualitative research method (depth interviews) to examine
the multidimensionality of beauty and then used a quantitative research technique (factor
analysis) to propose a scale to measure beauty. Based on the results from these procedures,
concluded that beauty is certainly more than skin deep. Physical attractiveness may be the
initial criterion on which people evaluate beauty but the evidence indicates that values,
habits, personality, and behavior are the ‘soul’ of beauty – essential ingredients in the
creation of a truly beautiful person.
Zubcevic, Mavondo, Luxton (2012) examined the associations between attitudes to academic
achievement and post university success using perceptions of attractiveness, gender, ethnic
identity, personality, and social acceptance as antecedents. An online questionnaire was
completed by male (N=116) and female (N=126) university students from various cultural
backgrounds. To evaluate the proposed relationships, multiple regression analysis was used.
The findings suggested that attractiveness was related to attitudes to academic achievement
and success through its association with social appeal and acceptance. Ethnic identity was
also related to both academic achievement and post university success. Personality was not
positively related to academic achievement. Finally, social acceptance was positively related
to academic achievement for males and to success for females. While the survey targeted
students from various cultural backgrounds studying in Australia, it did not look at university
students from other countries. A cross-cultural perspective could reveal further differences in
attitudes. The study linked attractiveness and academic achievement theories. The findings
had implications for tertiary institutions and suggested academics and policy-makers to
vigorously promote core personality and values such as intelligence, communication skills,
and sincerity, rather than allow superficial values such as attractiveness to be placed at the
centre stage of students' endeavour.
LITERATURE REVIEW
34. 26
Seno, Lukas (2007) outlined a conceptual framework that could be used to organise and
guide future research into how celebrity product endorsement created equity for both the
endorsed product-brand and the endorsing celebrity. The theoretical perspective adopted in
this study was that celebrity product endorsement was a form of co-branding. The central
thesis was that both endorser image and brand image served as mediators in the equity-
creation process of celebrity product endorsement. Research contributions and directions for
future research were provided.
Kim,Han,Kim,Paramita (2013) investigated whether the use of a male decorative model, so
called Kkot Minam in Korean, could be effective in Indonesia as well as in Korea, and
whether consumers from different cultural and religious backgrounds will respond differently
to this kind of advertisement.A personal interview survey was used to collect the data. The
respondents, 159 Koreans and 149 Indonesians, were female consumers in their twenties.
They represent the target market of “The Face Shop” brand, whose advertisement was used in
this research. Structural equation model was employed to test the hypotheses.Overall results
indicated that the use of Kkot Minam in cosmetics advertisement was effective in Indonesia.
The findings also showed that religiosity affected Indonesian consumers’ attitudes toward
Kkot Minam. However, when attitudes toward Korean wave were used as a moderating
variable, the negative effect of religiosity on attitudes diminished. Companies in emerging
markets might use decorative male models in advertising once the social and economic status
of women reached a certain level. The study investigated the effect of a decorative male
model on the attitudes of consumers with different cultural and religious backgrounds, using
Korean wave as a moderating variable in the same research setting.
Hurley-Hanson, Giannantonio (2006) introduced a model which examined the relationship
between recruiters’ perceptions of image and the stigma of image norms. They examined the
influence of image norms on recruiters’ perceptions of applicants during interviews and
explored the manner in which recruiters may stigmatize applicants. A model was presented
which explored how image norms might be used to stigmatize applicants and affect
recruiters’ decisions. Image norms were found to have an influence on recruiters’ evaluations
of applicants during the interview process. Empirical tests of the model were suggested to
illustrate how image norm violations led to stigmatization during the recruitment process.
Applicants who were denied entry into organizations on the basis of their appearance or
image, experienced a subtle, yet unacceptable form of employment discrimination.
35. 27
Organizations needed to ensure that they were not excluding potential employees who did not
meet the image norm expectations of recruiters. Organizations needed to make sure that the
image norms used to evaluate applicants were not a proxy for discrimination based on
protected characteristics. This paper looked at image, a broader construct than physical
attractiveness, to ensure equal opportunities for everyone.
In this modem era of communication and technology, where advertisements and images
Of a specific beauty ideal are constantly available and present, it is reasonable that there has
been a dramatic increase in body dissatisfaction in recent years. There is a long history of
marketers using images of female beauty to sell products to men and women (Englis et aI., 1
994). Previous research has justified the claim that images soliciting society's beauty ideals
are pervasive (Thomas & Heinberg, 1 999), but a review of such literature is beyond the
scope of the current discussion. The justification to be made is that such global images of
beauty in advertisements affect individuals' self perceptions. Englis et ai. (1994) reported that
attractive people portrayed in advertising effect consumers' perceptions of their own facial
attractiveness. According to Silverblatt (2004) this is because mass media has emerged as a
social institution, assuming the role of support system for individuals as they seek
membership in a larger social network In short, people today are increasingly looking to
forms of media for information, values, and rules of behavior. Media figures serve as societal
role models because of the standard of success they embody. As people strive to satisfy their
innate desire for success and fitness, they strive to emulate and epitomize the attractive
images of success portrayed in media (Silverblatt, 2004).
Little research has investigated the relations among these constructs for males. The
Challenge, as one study by Furnham and Calnan (1998) found, has been that males who were
Dissatisfied with their bodies were equally divided between those who wished to gain weight
and those who wished to lose weight. The researchers also found that reported exercising for
physical tone, attractiveness; health, fitness, and/or weight control were all related to
measures of disordered eating for males, while exercising for mood and enjoyment were not.
Such a variable phenomenon can be explained in that exposure to and internalization of the
typical images displayed in the media of the muscular male ideal leads to increasing body
dissatisfaction (Fawkner & McMurray, 2002) and concerns with muscularity (Cahill and
Mussap (2007). While Stice, Schupak-Neuberg, Shaw, and Stein (1994) also demonstrated
that awareness of society’s beauty ideals was correlated with body image disturbance, and
36. 28
Cusumano and Thompson (1997) found that internalization of social norms of appearance
mediated the relationship between the variables of media exposure and disturbance, further
conclusive research on this topic is scarce.
Because a majority of previous researchers have used experimental designs that exposed
Male participants to advertisement and media images of attractive males, there is reason to
study the effects on male body image when exposed to images of attractive women. Designs.
That exposed males to images of other males are logical because they allow for comparisons
to be made between similar types of research done with females. However, as Englis et al.
(1994) purported, modem advertisements most often utilize attractive females to sell products
to both men and women, so a more realistic design would be one that measures how men are
affected by exposure to images of attractive females. Kenrick, Montello, Gutierres, and Trost
(1993) used this type of experimental design and presented males with images of attractive
women. The researchers found that participants' mood and self perceptions· of body image
increased when exposed to attractive, opposite sex images (Kerick et aI., 1993). Exposure to
less attractive faces belonging to the opposite sex interrupted this increase. The researchers
explained this contrast by comparing exposure to opposite sex faces with a reward-stimulus
relationship. In other words, exposure to attractive faces belonging to the opposite sex is
rewarding and individuals will subsequently work to obtain access to this type of individual.
However, exposure to attractive faces belonging to the same sex creates a social comparison
situation in which an individual might perceive the other as superior. Such social comparison
perceptions are what lowered participants' self perceptions of body image in other studies
(Kenrick et aI., 1993).
The term aesthetics is derived from the Greek word for sensory perception or aesthesis and
was coined by the 18th century philosopher Alexander Baumgarten who established
aesthetics as a separate field of philosophy. A definition of aesthetics is ‘the science of beauty
in nature and arts’ or the appreciation or the enjoyment of beauty’ (Webster’s Dictionary,
1988).
Studies of facial perception and recognition suggest that faces differ markedly from other
physical objects of equal complexity; thus faces convey information over and above what is
physically apparent at a visual level (Hirschberg, Jones and Haggerty, 1978). The perception
of facial attractiveness is multifactorial and is founded primarily on genetics, culture and
environmental factors (Naini and Moss, 2004). There is a dichotomy with respect to the
37. 29
origin of the perception of facial beauty- viz. is perception dependant on each individual’s
personal senses or is it common to all people? The subjective nature of facial beauty is best
illustrated by the writer Margaret Hungerford’s classic statement ‘Beauty is in the eye of the
beholder’ (1878). The perceptual judgement of facial aesthetics is based on a ‘sense’ which is
largely independent of intellectual input yet takes into consideration the influence of specific
facial features. However, beauty also has a universal appeal often related to some observed
physical quality or perceived emotional attribute in a face. Philosophical debate therefore
varies between those embracing the universal nature of beauty and those who believe that the
perception of beauty is very much an individual assessment strongly influenced by one’s own
ideas and feelings.
There is also conflicting opinion regarding the aesthetic appeal of average versus highly
attractive faces. In the late 19th century Francis Galton (1879) overlaid photographs (one in
front of the other) of convicted prisoners, producing composite portraits. These he felt were
‘better looking than their components, because the average portrait of many persons is free
from the irregularities that previously blemish the looks of each of them’. Similar findings
have been demonstrated by others including Symons (1979), Langlois and Roggman (1990)
and Edler (2001) ‘Averageness’ as well as symmetry therefore, is an important component of
attractiveness. These findings, however, are not in agreement with those of Perrett, May and
Yoshikawa (1994) who showed that the mean shape of a group of attractive faces was
preferred to the mean facial shape of the sample from which the faces were selected. This
supports the view that an average face is attractive but not optimally so and that highly
attractive faces are neither average (Alley and Cunningham, 1991) nor symmetrical (Zaidel,
Aarde and Baig, 2005).
Arguments have also been made for an evolutionary basis to man’s perception of facial
attractiveness (Thornhill and Gangestad, 1993). Facial attractiveness, symmetry and
secondary sexual characteristics (prominent chins and large jaws in males and malar
eminences in females) with dimensions very close to the mean of the population are
necessary for sexual selection and reproduction. This is true for animals as well as humans.
Thornhill and Gangestad (1999) examined the three major lines of research that have been
explored as indicators of phenotypic condition and found that facial symmetry, averageness
and secondary sexual characteristics all played a meaningful role in the perception of facial
attractiveness. Cardenas and Harris (2006) showed that man’s evolutionary bias towards
38. 30
symmetry has had an effect on cultural practices such as face painting and the decorative arts;
these were considered to be more attractive the more symmetrical they were.
The observations of Martin (1964) support the environmental and cultural basis for facial
attractiveness. He found that both White and Black American men preferred Black female
faces with Caucasoid features compared with Black African men who preferred Black female
faces with Negroid features. More recent studies by Cunningham (1995) and Langlois,
Kalanakis, Rubenstein et al. (2000) confirmed this cross-cultural agreement with respect to
facial attractiveness.
Masculinity has been conceptualized differently depending upon the approach of the
researcher. Bourke (1996) outlines the five ways masculinity can be conceptualized,
including biological, whereby masculinity is a product of the biological makeup of men;
socialization, where masculinity is a result of the “proper” socialization of men;
psychoanalytical, whereby differing masculinities are formed as a result of varying socio-
historical and cultural environments; discourse, where masculinity is an outcome of
discourses; and feminism, where patriarchy not only restricts men but also reinforces the
oppression of women.
While the study of masculinity can be approached in various ways as discussed above, there
are two predominant approaches in the current field. The first is the postmodern view, where
masculinity is constructed through discourses, or through a complex system of cultural
meanings in society. Past research in masculinity has tackled cultural issues such as race and
ethnicity (Irwin 2003; Wallace 2002), religion (Boyarin 1997), sexuality (Forrest 1994) and
class (Holt and Thompson 2004).
While some researchers construct masculinity as a product of structural features, others
(Butler 1990; Morgan 1992) define masculinity as a Goffmanesque presentation, after Erwin
Goffman’s (1971) conceptualization that people are “actors” who use signals in their
“performances” or self-presentations. Masculinity as performance follows the socialization
tradition, as men are actors following a scripted role on how to be a man. While socialization
provides the means for a boy to become a man, some performances are more valued than
others, such as that of the young, white, college educated, heterosexual man (Goffman 1963).
In this study, gender is held as a cultural space, with its appropriate code of behaviours and
culturally acceptable characteristics for men and women.
39. 31
According to Ricciardelli, McCabe, Lillis, and Thomas (2006), there has been a sudden
interest in males' concern of body image and muscularity within the last decade. Furthermore,
Jones and Crawford (2005) stated there is an increasing recognition of the dissatisfaction of
body image among adolescent boys. This dissatisfaction and lack of research on body image
with males reiterates the importance of discovering the factors that influence this negative
perception of body image in males.
Explaining that there has been little research done on the effects of mass media on male body
image Morrison, Kalin, and Morrison (2004) conducted a study that gives some insight on the
growing pressure males receive from society. They conducted a longitudinal assessment of
two popular men's fashion magazines. There results of the study confirmed the intensify in
pressure from society. They indicated that over a32-year period from 1960 1992, the number
of articles related to building, toning, and strengthening muscles had increased significantly.
In addition to the study confirming the pressure of society, Kolbe and Albaneses (cited in
Stout and Frame, 2004) conducted a study to evaluate men when appearing alone in
magazines. The sample of magazines used included Rolling Stone and Sports Illustrated,
which appeal to the adolescent male population. Kolbe and Albaneses found the majority of
males were represented as strong and muscular. This means that adolescent boys are being
bombarded with images of the ideal male body image at a time when they are figuring out
what type of men they want to be.
Along with the pressures of society, Stout and Frame (2004) explained how peer pressure
could affect body image perception. As adolescent males become more aware of the ideal
male body image from society, they start to identify problems with themselves and others.
Males who do not fit the ideal body image may feel some pressure from their peers who may
have a more developed muscular body figure. In a series of interviews with adolescent males
conducted by Grogan and Richards (2002), one subject in particular emphasized this peer
pressure. According to Grogan and Richards, (2002, p. 229), an adolescent boy named Tom
reported that, "If you've got friends who are, like, quite big in build, you want to be the same
as them. Although you might not be able to do anything about it, it's in your conscience all
the time."
40. 32
Labre (2002) argued that the average American boy spends one-third of each day exposed to
media. However, the effects of boys being exposed to the media's muscular ideal body image
have not been examined. Even though there is a lack of research on the effects of media and
body image, there is evidence that the media's male body image is becoming more muscular.
Also there is a relation between an increase in body dissatisfaction and increase in male body
image disorders.
Labre (2002) reiterated that standards for beauty in males emphasize strength and
muscularity. Boys as young as six years old have an ideal body image and prefer the
mesomorphic body type compared to the ectomorphic or endomorphic body types. The
mesomorphic body type is described as well proportioned and average build. The
ectomorphic body type is thin and the ectomorphic body type is fat. The majority of the boys
who chose the mesomorphic body type also selected the muscular mesomorphic body type.
This body type is described as a body with a v-shaped frame and well -developed chest, arms,
and wide shoulders. Males who have the muscular mesomorphic body type are thought to be
more attractive and receive more social benefits.
According to Labre (2002), this ideal male body image can be traced back to the art of
ancient Greece and Rome. In the mid-1800s the media emphasis on body image shifted to the
female body and that continued until the 1980s. However, the 1980s and 1990s have shown a
reemergence of the male body image in media. Now in the 21st century the muscular male
body image is portrayed with half-naked men in numerous advertisements and has become
common place in western media.
Furnham, Badmin, and Sneade (2002) explained that males with poor body image are more
likely to perceive themselves as underweight leading to body weight dissatisfaction. The idea
of being skinny as bad and the desire to gain weight fits the purpose of having the ideal v-
shaped muscular body. This v shaped or "ideal" body also fits the stereotype of what males
try to live up to.
Cash and Pruzinsky (2002) explained that "what is beautiful is good" and "what is ugly is
bad." This idea of having a body image that is beautiful and fits society's image of the ideal
male body enforces the "what is beautiful is good" stereotype. Furthermore, those who are
considered beautiful or attractive are viewed as being happier, smarter, more sociable, more
interesting, and even more successful.
41. 33
Grogan (1999) argues that there is a general consensus that most men aspire to have the v-
shaped body characterized as having a slim waist with developed muscles on the chest, arms,
and shoulders. This idea of having the ideal muscular shape is tied to the western cultural
through media and society. According to the western cultural the muscular ideal identifies
with power, strength, and aggression.
The most important aspect of skin in India is, of course, a clear complexion. This feature
Is so important to the imagining of a beautiful Indian woman that it is emphasized in places
Ranging from the predictable fashion magazines to the more unexpected job advertisement.
(IndiGo. Hello 6E. October 2011.) However, the far more controversial aspect of complexion
is that of skin tone. As noted in the historical section, Indian society has traditionally
exhibited a preference for medium- or fair skinned women. In recent years, that preference
for fairness has become even more obvious and even a medium complexion is often
considered not enough. Where matrimonial advertisements from the early twentieth century
described women with medium, even dark complexions, modern ones only refer to
complexion if they can state that the person in question is “fair” or even “v. fair.”
(“Matrimonial.” The Times of India. 30 October 2011.) In fact, in at least one edition of The
Times of India, there was not a single reference to a complexion darker than “fair” despite
hundreds of references to “fair” and “v. fair.”
Fairness is so important to beauty in India that, according to Meenu Bhambhani, just
being in possession of this one feature and having no other specific deformities can be
enough for a woman to be considered beautiful.( Meenu Bhambhani, personal interview, 1
Nov. 2011.) She claims “the media tries to perpetuate that fair is beautiful.” It is an
argument with a lot of support. According to Li, et al., who categorized the skin colour of
models in advertisements into 14 categories using a colour wheel:
The skin colour of models (who were predominantly Indian) tended to be fairer
And Caucasian-looking. The skin colour of models in advertisements that
Emphasize “natural” tended to be moderately light—either soft ivory or natural
Ivory. Models in these ads had minimal make-up, conveying a “natural beauty”
Look. The skin colour of models for prestige brands, and ads emphasizing a
Somewhat older “classic” or “elegant” image, tended to be a lighter classic ivory.
42. 34
Thus, skin colour is conflated with class and whiter skin costs more.( Eric P. H. Li,
Hyun J. Min, Russell W. Belk, Junko Kimura, and Shalini Bahl. "Skin Lightening and
Beauty in Four Asian Cultures." Advances in Consumer Research 35 (2008).
Obviously, fairness as beauty is not a new concept in India, but the influence of the media
does appear to have solidified its place as a prerequisite for beauty. One of the most
influential moments in the establishment of this narrow standard was the introduction of Fair
and Lovely, a cream designed to increase fairness that was first marketed in India in 1975.
(Runkle. “Bollywood Beauty.” 40.) Suddenly, the perception was implanted in Indian women
that you could make yourself fair, leading to the possibility that it might actually be your fault
if you were not fair. Fair and Lovely has since gained a number of imitators, including Care
fair, which claims it will “take care of your skin from the harsh effects of sun rays and
pollutants, thus making the skin fair and charming.”(Product label, Care fair.)The equation of
“fair” with “charming” is likely not an accidental one.
43. 35
4.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
NEED OF THE STUDY
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
RESEARCH DESIGN
LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE SCOPE OF THE
STUDY
44. 36
For researchers - Consumer’s perception about “Beauty” when exposed to certain
images and words.
For advertisers - how a consumer perceives about any advertise on the basis of the
situations and persons used in the images shown.
The deeper the advertiser understands of consumer’s perception of beauty, the earlier
the product or service is introduced ahead of competition, the greater the expected
contribution margin. Hence the study is very important.
This study will help companies to customize the advertisements service and product,
according to the consumer’s need and perceptions of beauty to make it effective.
This study will help the advertisers to avail the readymade database for certain
defined Beauty aspect in various categories: face shapes, skins colour,
monuments/structures, pets/animals, colours, cosmetic products, etc.
It will be helpful in media planning.
Helpful to the companies who can’t afford to conduct a massive research with huge
budgets (in print ads).
It will provide a readymade research paper or database for all the new market entrants
for such products.
This study is limited to the male consumers with in Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad
cities—of Gujarat, India. The study is able to reveal the preferences, and perceptions
regarding various images and words and their associations. It will also help
advertisers to know whether the advertisement made by them or to be made by them
will be or are, very effective or not. They can also find reasons behind the failures or
4.3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
4.2 NEED FOR THE STUDY
4.1 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
45. 37
success of certain advertisements. This study can be really useful to all the product
marketers who want to make commercials in an effective manner for the people of
Gujarat.
To have an insight into the attitudes and behaviours of customers.
To evaluate consumer’s preferences.
To have an insight of the interpretation of males about “beauty”.
To understand: Beauty and its perception in mindsets of urban Gujarati males.
To help advertisers making advertisements in effective manner with the results of the
study.
To determine whether marital status of a man changes his perception about beauty or
not.
To determine whether age of a man changes his perceptiovn about beauty or not.
A descriptive study tries to discover answers to the questions who, what, when, where,
and, sometimes, how. The researcher attempts to describe or define a subject, often by creating a
profile of a group of problems, people, or events.
Such studies may involve the collection of data and the creation of a distribution of the
number of times the researcher observes a single event or characteristic (the research variable), or
they may involve relating the interaction of two or more variables. Organizations that maintain
databases of their employees, customers, and suppliers already have significant data to conduct
descriptive studies using internal information. Yet many firms that have such data files do not
mine them regularly for the decision-making insight they might provide. This descriptive study is
popular in business research because of its versatility across disciplines. In for-profit, not-for-
profit and government organizations, descriptive investigations have a broad appeal to the
administrator and policy analyst for planning, monitoring, and evaluating. In this context, how
questions address issues such as quantity, cost, efficiency, effectiveness, and adequacy.
Descriptive studies may or may not have the potential for drawing powerful inferences. A
descriptive study, however, does not explain why an event has occurred or why the variables
interact the way they do.
4.5 RESEARCH DESIGN
4.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
46. 38
SAMPLE SIZE
Sample size denotes the number of elements selected for the study. For the present
study, 384 male respondents were selected at random. All the 384 respondents were
residents of Ahmedabad or Gandhinagar.
[Source: http://community.copypress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Sample-Size-for-
Survey.png/]
When the population is more than 10, 00,000 at the confidence interval of 95%, the ideal
sample size to be chosen is 384. Hence, the study including the entire population of
Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, the researchers chose the final sample size of 384.
SAMPLING METHOD
A sample is a representative part of the population. In sampling technique, information is
collected only from a representative part of the universe and the conclusions are drawn on
that basis for the entire universe.
A non-probability based convenience sampling technique has been used to collect data from
the respondents.
47. 39
TYPES OF DATA
Every decision poses unique needs for information, and relevant strategies can be developed
based on the information gathered through research. Research is the systematic objective and
exhaustive search for and study of facts relevant to the problem Research design means the
framework of study that leads to the collection and analysis of data. It is a conceptual
structure with in which research is conducted. It facilitates smooth sailing of various research
operations to make the research as effective as possible.
PRIMARY DATA
Primary data are those collected by the investigator himself for the first time and thus they are
original in character, they are collected for a particular purpose.
A well-structured questionnaire was personally administrated to the selected sample to collect
the primary data.
SECONDARY DATA
Secondary data is data collected by someone other than the user. Common sources of
secondary data for social science include censuses, organizational records and data collected
through qualitative methodologies or qualitative research. Primary data, by contrast, are
collected by the investigator conducting the research.
For Literature Review and selection of images and symbols/words, a secondary data from
websites and research papers has been used.
POPULATION:
Our population consisted of Gujarati men age between 13 to 45 residing either in
Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad.
SAMPLING FRAME
A sampling consists of list of accessible population from which we could draw
samples.
Following consisted of our sampling frame:
48. 40
1) Colleges
S.K. Patel MBA college
L.D.R.P Engineering college
K.B Institute of Pharmacy
Som-lalit MBA college
L.J. college of commerce
2) Friends
3) Neighbours
SAMPLING UNIT
An urban male age between 13 to 45 residing either in Gandhinagar or Ahmedabad cities,
having Gujarati origin (Migrants and Non Gujarati are Excludes),Irrespective of profession,
income, class, lifestyle, caste and locality.
RESEARCH INSTRUMENT
Both self administered and interviewer administered questionnaire were used where
students and friends who would understand questionnaire were given self
administered questionnaire and where collected at their convenience.
Both Kishan R. Bhalodiya and Gautam M. Joshi acted as interviewers.
49. 41
5.
DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
DATA ANALYSIS
ANALYSIS OF FACTORS INFLUENCING
BEAUTY PERCEPTION USING GARRETT’S
RANKING METHOD
ANALYSIS-STATISTICAL TEST
50. 42
AGE GROUP
13-19 30
20-25 209
26-30 67
31-40 59
ABOVE 40 19
TOTAL 384
[TABLE 5.1.1: AGE GROUP]
[FIGURE 5.1.1: AGE GROUP]
Out of 384 male, 30 were teenage boys of age 13 to 19 years. 209 male were of age 20 to 25
years, 67 were of age 26 to 30 years, 59 were of 31 to 40 years and 19 were of age Up to 45.
30
209
67
59
19
0
50
100
150
200
250
13-19 20-25 26-30 31-40 UP TO 45
AGE
AGE
5.1 DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
51. 43
MARITAL STATUS
Single 254
Married 130
Total 384
[TABLE 5.1.2: MARITAL STATUS]
[FIGURE 5.1.2: MARITAL STATUS]
Among the sample of 384 men, 130 were married and 254 were single.
254
130
MARITAL STATUS
Single
Married
52. 44
OCCUPATION
Student 216
Professional 60
Salaried Employee 56
Business 52
Total 384
[TABLE 5.1.3: OCCUPATION]
[FIGURE 5.1.3: OCCUPATION]
Out of 384 men, 216 were student, 60 were professionals, 56 were Salaried
Employees, and 52 were doing business.
216
60
56
52
OCCUPATION
Student
Professional
Salaried Employee
Business
53. 45
EDUCATION
Diploma 26
Undergraduate 25
Graduate 130
Postgraduate 203
Total 384
[TABLE 5.1.4: EDUCATION]
[FIGURE 5.1.4: EDUCATION]
Out of 384 men, 26 were diploma holders, 203 were post graduate, 130 were
graduate, and 25 were under graduate.
26 25
130
203
0
50
100
150
200
250
Diploma Undergraduate Graduate Postgraduate
EDUCATION
EDUCATION
54. 46
CITY OF RESIDENCE
Gandhinagar 174
Ahmedabad 210
Total 384
[TABLE 5.1.5: CITY OF RESIDENCE]
[FIGURE 5.1.5: CITY OF RESIDENCE]
Out of 384, men, 210 were residents of Ahmedabad and 174 were residents of
Gandhinagar.
174
210
CITY OF RESIDENCE
Gandhinagar
Ahmedabad
55. 47
Q1: HOW IMPORTANT BEAUTY IS, ACCORDING TO YOU?
Beauty is Extremely important 114
Beauty is Somewhat important 93
Beauty is neither important, nor unimportant 130
Beauty is Not important 33
Beauty is Least important 14
Total 384
[TABLE 5.1.6: HOW IMPORTANT BEAUTY IS]
[FIGURE 5.1.6: HOW IMPORTANT BEAUTY IS]
Out of 384 men, 14 men said that beauty is least important for them.33 said that beauty is not
important.130 said that beauty is neither important nor unimportant.93said that beauty is
somewhat important and 114 said that beauty is extremely important.
114
93
130
33
14
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
Beauty is Extremely important
Beauty is Somewhat important
Beauty is neither important, nor unimportant
Beauty is Not important
Beauty is Least important
Q1: How important beauty is, accordingto
you?
56. 48
Q2: WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING INDIAN WOMEN’S BEAUTY
STYLE APPRECIATE THE MOST?
Aishwarya Rai Bachhan 42
Katrina Kaif 66
Priyanka Chopra 45
Kareena Kapoor Khan 33
Deepika Padukone 113
Nutan 2
Madhubala 8
Rekha 10
Nargis 5
Smita Patil 1
Chitrangda Singh 10
Hema Malini 14
Madhuri Dixit Vadher 30
Rajmata Gayatri Devi 1
Priyanka Gandhi 4
Total 384
[TABLE 5.1.7: INDIAN BEAUTY STYLE APPRECIATE]
[FIGURE 5.1.7: INDIAN BEAUTY STYLE APPRECIATE]
The male respondents were asked about their appreciate beauty style by giving 15 most
beautiful Indian women’s option. Out of 384, highest vote was given to Deepika Padukone
with a score 113. Second most aspired beauty came out to be Katrina Kaif; Whereas Priyanka
Chopra got 45 votes.
57. 49
Q3: WHICH IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FACE SHAPE AMONG
THESE (REFER SHOWCARD 4)?
1- Oblong 32
2- Rectangle 31
3- Round 67
4- Square 62
5- Inverted Triangle 54
6- Heart 29
7- Diamond 42
8- Triangle 9
9- Oval 58
Total 384
[TABLE 5.1.8: MOST BEAUTIFUL FACE SHAPE]
58. 50
[FIGURE 5.1.8: MOST BEAUTIFUL FACE SHAPE]
In response to this question, 67 out of 384 men unanimously voted for the ROUND FACE
SHAPE TO MOST BEAUTIFUL. Second highest was given to Square face with 62 votes,
third and fourth highest were Oval (58) and Inverted Triangle (54).
32
31
67
6254
29
42
9 58
Q3: Which is the most beautiful face shape
among these?
Oblong
Rectangle
Round
Square
Inverted Triangle
Heart
Diamond
Triangle
Oval
59. 51
Q4: WHICH IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HAIR TYPE AMONG THESE
(REFER SHOWCARD 5)?
1- 15mm curl 9
2- 25mm curl 7
3- Body curl 24
4- Body wave 16
5- Deep Bodywave 14
6- Water Wave 11
7- Kinky straight 29
8- Yaki straight 52
9- Relax curl 6
10- Kinky curl 3
11- Natural Wave 45
12- Silky straight 48
13- Deepwave 23
14- Romance curl 13
15- Afro curl 21
60. 52
16- Yaki bodywave 28
17- Italian yaki 30
18- Grace curl 5
Total 384
[TABLE 5.1.9: MOST BEAUTIFUL HAIRTYPE]
[FIGURE 5.1.9: MOST BEAUTIFUL HAIRTYPE]
Most beautiful hairtype came out to be YAKI STRAIGHT, with 52 votes. Second highest
was SILKY STRAIGHT with 48 votes.
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
17
9
7
24
16
14
11
29
52
6
3
45
48
23
13
21
28
30
5
Q4: Which is the most beautiful hair type among
these?
61. 53
Q5: WHICH IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HAIR COLOUR AMONG
THESE? (REFER SHOWCARD6)
1-Jet black 33
2- Natural black 66
3- Brown sugar 35
4- Rich aubum 12
5- Red hot rhythm 28
6- Sunkissed brown 19
7- Honey blonde 17
8- Golden bronze 10
9- Chestnut blonde 13
10- Midnight blue 10
11- Lt.Golden blonde 6
12- Deep copper 15
13- Brown sable 19
14- Warm mocha 17
15- Brown Cinnamon 19
16- Rich wine 18
17- Burgundy Blush 12
18- Vivacious Red 15
19- Soft Amber 16
20- Luminous Blonde 4
Total 384
[TABLE 5.1.10: MOST BEAUTIFUL HAIRCOLOUR]
62. 54
[FIGURE 5.1.10: MOST BEAUTIFUL HAIRCOLOUR]
Most beautiful hair colour came out to be NATURAL BLACK with 66 votes. Second and
third highest were BROWN SUGAR and RED HOT RHYTHM.
33
66
35
12
28
19 17
10
13
10
6
15
19 17 19 18
12
15 16
4
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Q5: Which is the most beautiful hair color
among these? (Refer Showcard 6)
63. 55
Q6: DOES SKIN COLOUR MAKE ANYONE LOOK BEAUTIFUL?
Yes 285
No 99
Total 384
[TABLE 5.1.11: SKIN COLOUR MAKING BEAUTIFUL/UGLY]
[FIGURE 5.1.11: SKIN COLOUR MAKING BEAUTIFUL/UGLY]
In response to the question that “Does skin colour make anyone look beautiful/ ugly”, 285
men voted yes, while 99 male said no.
285
99
Q6: Does skin color make anyone look
beautiful?
Yes
No
65. 57
In response to the question that “If yes, which is the most beautiful skin colour among this”,
out of 285 men who voted yes for previous question 99 men voted for skin colour no.5 shown
below. Second rank given was to skin colour number 6, with 41 votes.
Q8: DO YOU THINK MEDIA TYPECASTS WOMENIN A CERTAIN
WAY?
Yes 351
No 33
Total 384
[TABLE 5.1.13: MEDIA TYPECASTS WOMEN]
[FIGURE 5.1.13: MEDIA TYPECASTS MEN]
In response to the given question, 351 men voted yes, while 33 men said no.
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
Yes No
351
33
Q8: Do You Think Media Typecasts Women in
a Certain Way?
66. 58
Q9 (A): SOAPS/TOILETRIES(WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING
CATEGORIES’SALES DEPENDON DEPICTIONOF BEAUTIFUL
WOMEN IN TELEVISION COMMERCIALS?)
Yes 331
No 44
Can’t say 9
Total 384
[TABLE 5.1.14: SOAPS/TOILETRIES SALES]
[FIGURE 5.1.14: SOAPS/TOILETRIES SALES]
In response to the given question, for the soaps/toiletries categories, 331 men said that this
category’s sales depends on depiction of beautiful women in television commercials,
Whereas 44 responded with a ‘No’, and 9 said ‘Can’t Say’.
331
44
9
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Yes No Can't Say
Q9 (A): Soaps/Toiletries (Which Of the
Following Categories’ Sales Depends on
Depiction of beautiful Women in Television
Commercials?)
67. 59
Q9 (B): FRAGRANCES (WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING
CATEGORIES’SALES DEPENDSON DEPICTION OF BEAUTIFUL
WOMEN IN TELEVISION COMMERCIALS?)
Yes 312
No 57
Can’t Say 15
Total 384
[TABLE 5.1.15: FRAGRANCES SALES]
[FIGURE 5.1.15: FRAGRANCES SALES]
In response to the given question, for the Fragrances categories, 312 men said that this
category’s sales depends on depiction of beautiful women in television commercials,
Whereas 57 responded with a ‘No’, and 15 said ‘Can’t Say’.
312
57
15
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Yes No Can't Say
Q9 (B): Fragrances (Which Of the Following
Categories Sales Depends on Depiction of
beautiful Women in Television
Commercials?)
68. 60
Q9 (C): COSMETICS(WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES’
SALES DEPENDSON DEPICTIONOF BEAUTIFUL WOMEN IN
TELEVISION COMMERCIALS?)
Yes 330
No 45
Can’t Say 9
Total 384
[TABLE 5.1.16: COSMETICS SALES]
[FIGURE 5.1.16: COSMETICS SALES]
In response to the given question, for the Cosmetics categories, 330 men said that this
category’s sales depends on depiction of beautiful women in television commercials,
Whereas 45 responded with a ‘No’, and 9 said ‘Can’t Say’.
330
45
9
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Yes No Can't Say
Q9 (C): Cosmetics (Which of the Following
Categories’ Sales Depends on Depiction of
beautiful Women in Television
Commercials?)
69. 61
Q9 (D): MALE GROOMING PRODUCTS(WHICH OF THE
FOLLOWING CATEGORIES’SALES DEPENDSON DEPICTION OF
BEAUTIFUL WOMEN IN TELEVISION COMMERCIALS?)
Yes 109
No 250
Can’t Say 25
Total 384
[TABLE 5.1.17: MALE GROOMING PRODUCTS SALES]
[FIGURE 5.1.17: MALE GROOMING PRODUCTS SALES]
In response to the given question, for the Male Grooming Products categories, 109 men said
that this category’s sales depends on depiction of beautiful women in television commercials,
Whereas 250 responded with a ‘No’, and 25 said ‘Can’t Say’.
109
250
25
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
Yes No Can't Say
Q9 (D):Male GroomingProducts (Which of
the Following Categories’ Sales Depends on
Depiction of beautiful Women in Television
Commercials?)
70. 62
Q9 (E): CONSUMER DURABLES (WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING
CATEGORIES’SALES DEPENDSON DEPICTION OF BEAUTIFUL
WOMEN IN TELEVISION COMMERCIALS?)
Yes 152
No 163
Can’t Say 69
Total 384
[TABLE: 5.1.18: CONSUMER DURABLE SALES]
[FIGURE: 5.1.18: CONSUMER DURABLE SALES]
In response to the given question, for the Male Grooming Products categories, 152 men said
that this category’s sales depends on depiction of beautiful women in television commercials,
Whereas 163 responded with a ‘No’, and 69 said ‘Can’t Say’.
152
163
69
0
50
100
150
200
Yes No Can't Say
Q9 (E): ConsumersDurables (Which of the
Following Categories’ Sales Depends on
Depiction of beautiful Women in Television
Commercials?)
71. 63
Q9 (F): COLD DRINKS (WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING
CATEGORIES’SALES DEPENDON DEPICTIONOF BEAUTIFUL
WOMEN IN TELEVISION COMMERCIALS?)
Yes 187
No 157
Can’t Say 40
Total 384
[TABLE 5.1.19: COLD DRINKS SALES]
[FIGURE 5.1.19: COLD DRINKS SALES]
In response to the given question, for the Cold Drinks categories, 187 men said that this
category’s sales depends on depiction of beautiful women in television commercials,
Whereas 157 responded with a ‘No’, and 40 said ‘Can’t Say’.
187
157
40
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
Yes No Can't Say
Q9 (F): Cold Drinks (Which of the Following
Categories' Sales Depends on Depiction of
Beautiful Women inTelevision Commercials?)
72. 64
Q9 (G): ETABLES-SNACKS (WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING
CATEGORIES’SALES DEPENDON DEPICTIONOF BEAUTIFUL
WOMEN IN TELEVISION COMMERCIALS?)
Yes 234
No 94
Can’t Say 56
Total 384
[TABLE 5.1.20: EATABLES-SNACKS SALES]
[FIGURE 5.1.20: EATABLES-SNACKS SALES]
In response to the given question, for the Eatables-Snacks categories, 234 men said that this
category’s sales depends on depiction of beautiful women in television commercials,
Whereas 94 responded with a ‘No’, and 56 said ‘Can’t Say’.
234
94
56
0
50
100
150
200
250
Yes No Can't Say
Q9 (G): Eatables-Snacks (Which of the
Following Categories'Sales Depends
Depiction of Beautiful Women in Television
Commercials?)
73. 65
Q10:DO YOU FIND ADVERTISEMENTS WITHBEAUTIFUL
MODELS/BEAUTIFULPLACES MORE ATTRACTIVE?
Yes 255
No 14
It Depends on the product 115
Total 384
[TABLE 5.1.21: ADVERTISEMENTS WITH BEAUTIFUL MODELS/PLACES MORE
ATTRACTIVE?]
[FIGURE 5.1.21: ADVERTISEMENTS WITH BEAUTIFUL MODELS/PLACES MORE
ATTRACTIVE?]
When asked to the respondents that, “Do you find advertisements with beautiful
models/places more attractive?” 115 men responded with ‘It depends on the products’, 14
responded with a ‘No’, and 255 men agreed that they find advertisement with beautiful
models/places more attractive.
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Yes
No
It Depends on the product
255
14
115
Q10: Do You Find Advertisements With
Beautiful Models/Beautiful Places more
attractive?
74. 66
Q11:DO YOU THINK THE ADVERTISERS WILL TRIGER OTHER
WOMEN’S PURCHASE INTENSION, IF THE MODELS OF THAT
ADVERTISEMENTFITS YOUR DEFINITION OF BEAUTY?
Yes 343
No 41
Total 384
[TABLE 5.1.22: ADVERTISEMENTS TRIGGERING PURCHASE INTENSION]
[FIGURE 5.1.22: ADVERTISEMENTS TRIGGERING PURCHASE INTENSION]
In response to the question that “Do you think that the advertisement will trigger your
purchase intension, if the models of that advertisement fits your definition of beauty?” 343
men responded with a ‘Yes’, while 41 responded with a ‘No’.
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Yes No
343 41
Q11: Do You Think the AdvertisersWill
Trigger Other Women's Purchase Intension, If
The Models of That Advertisement Fits Your
Definition of Beauty?
75. 67
Q12:COLOURS WHICH DEFINES BEAUTY(REFER
SHOWCARD19)?
00FF00 Light Green 22
000000 Dark Black 43
FFFF00 Dark Yellow 22
FFFFFF White 41
99FFFF Sky Blue 26
00CC00 Dark Green 34
0000FF Light Blue 57
000044 Light Purple 40
660000 Dark Cream 13
550000 Dark Red 23
FF6633 Dark Orange 09
CC00FF Majenta 05
9966FF Royal Purple 29
99FF33 Parrot Green 16
FF0099 Dark Pink 04
TOTAL 384
[TABLE 5.1.23: COLOURS WHICH DEFINES BEAUTY]
76. 68
[FIGURE 5.1.23: COLOURS WHICH DEFINES BEAUTY]
The men were asked about the colour which, according to them, defines beauty in a best way.
57 men out of 384 selected Light Blue colour with the code 000FF.
22
43
22
41
26
34
57
40
13
23
9
5 29
16 4
Q12: ColorsWhoch Defines Beauty (Refer
Showcard19)?
00FF00,Light Green
000000,Dark Black
FFFF00, Dark Yellow
FFFFFF, White
99FFFF, Sky Blue
00CC00, Dark Green
0000FF, Light Blue
000044, Light Purple
660000, Dark Cream
550000, Dark Red
FF6633, Dark Orange
CC00FF, Majenta
9966FF, Royal Purple
99FF33, Parrot Green
FF0099, Dark Pink
![i
GTU’S ENROLLMENT NO. 137690592039
GTU’S ENROLLMENT NO. 137690592011
A
Comprehensive Project report
On
CONGRUENCE BETWEEN IMAGES/WORDS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL
INTERPRETATION OF WORD “BEAUTY”: A QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION
BASED ON OPINIONS OF GUJARATI URBAN MAN.
Submitted to:
Gujarat Technological University
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS OF THE AWARD FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Under the guidance of:
PROF. (DR.) HARISHCHANDRASINGH RATHOD
Associate Professor (SJPI-NICM)
Submitted by:
GAUTAM M. JOSHI
[Batch: 2013-15, Enrollment No. 137690592039]
KISHAN R. BHALODIYA
[Batch: 2013-15, Enrollment No. 137690592011]
MBA SEMESTER III/IV
SHRI JAIRAMBHAI PATEL INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS
MANAGEMENT AND COMPUTER APPLICATIONS (NICM-MBA)
MBA PROGRAMME
Affiliated to Gujarat Technological University, Ahmedabad.
May, 2015](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/cponbeauty-150525122415-lva1-app6891/85/cp-on-beauty-1-320.jpg)
