Expression of Attitudes Towards Appearance and Their Connection to the Formation of Behavioral Strategies in Close Relationships Among Young People | South-Russian Journal of Social Sciences
Expression of Attitudes Towards Appearance and Their Connection to the Formation of Behavioral Strategies in Close Relationships Among Young People
Vol. 24 (2023) No. 3, Social Psychology
Vol. 24 (2023) No. 3
Social Psychology

Expression of Attitudes Towards Appearance and Their Connection to the Formation of Behavioral Strategies in Close Relationships Among Young People

Labunskaya V.A.
Southern Federal University
ORCID ID 0000-0001-8901-8773
PDF (Russian)
https://doi.org/10.31429/26190567-24-3-102-118
https://doi.org/10.31429/26190567-24-3-102-118

How to Cite Array

Labunskaya V.A. (2023) Expression of Attitudes Towards Appearance and Their Connection to the Formation of Behavioral Strategies in Close Relationships Among Young People. South-Russian Journal of Social Sciences, 24 (3), pp. 102-118. DOI: 10.31429/26190567-24-3-102-118 (In Russian)
Submission Date 2023-06-05
Accepted Date 2023-07-06
Published Date 2023-09-29

Copyright (c) 2024 Вера Александровна Лабунская

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

This article examines the study of behavioral strategies in close relationships, types of attachment associated with them, and their interaction with various aspects of personality’s life activities. The article is based on the provisions formulated in the works of A. A. Bodalev. It also explores the evaluation of self-appearance (AP) as a behavioral strategy in close relationships. At the empirical level, we examined attitudes towards AP, including their significance, impact on romantic relationships, and self-assessment of attractiveness to the opposite sex partner. We also studied experiences related to romantic partner’s evaluations of AP. We then determined the relationship between these attitudes and levels of anxiety and avoidance strategy expression in close relationships. As a result, the study partially confirmed the hypothesis about the different expression of the characteristics of the attitude toward the AP, conditioned by the level of expression of the anxiety and avoidance strategies in close relationships. It was also hypothesized that attachment types would be the variables mediating the associations between strategies of intimate relationship behavior and attitudinal characteristics of one’s AP. A combination of correlational analysis and comparative data suggests that adolescents, regardless of sex, who have low levels of anxiety and avoidance strategies in close relationships and higher levels of attachment type A, place less importance on AP in romantic relationships, feel less embarrassed when their AP is revealed to their romantic partner, and see less impact of attachment anxiety on their relationship with their partner. Attachment types B and D are associated with high levels of avoidance strategies and anxiety behavior in close relationships, which can increase the dependence of romantic relationships on AP.

Keywords

interpersonal communication, personality, close relationships, appearance, behavioral strategies, attachment types, young people / adolescents

Acknowledgements

The study was financially supported by RNF, project No. 22-28-01641 “Determinants of the influence of external appearance assessments on interpersonal relationships and subjective well-being”.

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