BLACK WOMENS SELF-PERCEPTIONS OF ATTRACTIVENESS FOLLOWING EXPOSURE TOWHITE VERSUS BLACK BEAUTY STANDARDS - THE MODERATING ROLE OF RACIAL IDENTITY AND SELF-ESTEEM

This study examined racial identity, self-esteem, and Black versus Whi te beauty standards as moderators of body image perceptions among 60 B lack women. In two experimental conditions, subjects evaluated photogr aphs of either three Black models or three White models, all previousl y determined to be attractive. Control group subjects did not evaluate photographs. All subjects then completed measures of their own body e steem and attractiveness. Results indicated that body esteem was posit ively related to self-esteem for subjects in the photograph conditions but not for subjects in the control condition. The relative attractiv eness ratings of self versus models were dependent on race of the mode ls and subjects' self-esteem, and on race of the models and subjects' racial identity. The first interaction indicated more favorable compar ative ratings for subjects with high self-esteem, but only following e xposure to White models. The second interaction indicated more favorab le comparative ratings for subjects with high African self-consciousne ss, but only following exposure to White models. Taken together, the r esults suggest that explicit beauty standards engage a comparison proc ess and, in the case of Black respondents with high self-esteem or wit h high African self-consciousness, result in self-evaluations that are significantly higher than the attractiveness attributed to White stan dards of beauty.