Manufacturing Beauty

Social Psychology 315

Critical Thinking Exercise - Manufacturing Beauty

Cindy Jackson’s Social Self, Self-Concept, Self Esteem, & Self Presentation

Self-concept is the individual’s beliefs about him or herself, including their attributes and who and what the self actually is. Self-concept can also be about a person’s identity which also plays a key role in determining that individual’s behavior. Cindy Jackson’s website reveals that she had very low self-esteem as a child. She had believed that she was very unattractive, I would even go as far as saying a misfit. She disliked her physical appearance, which means she couldn’t accurately describe herself using observable characteristics. In our textbook Myers states “Our self-concepts include not only our self-schemas about who we currently are but also who we might become – our possible selves.” So Cindy already had a plan thought out about who she knew she’d become. She had a wish list from 1987 that included the changes she wanted to go through. Some of her changes included wider, less tired-looking eyes, a small feminine nose, high cheekbones, fuller lips, perfect white teeth, a smaller, more delicate jaw and chin, eradication of premature facial wrinkles, a flawless, unlined complexion, and a few more changes. I think when she was younger she suffered identity issues. She even went as far as considering herself a ragdoll at the age of 6. She basically wanted to be a real life Barbie. She wanted to be practically perfect and she never had any intentions on growing old, she wants to look young forever. She wanted to look better so she believed that going through this transformation would make her able to fit into society perfectly. She went from having no self-esteem to having plentiful.

Physical Attractiveness Stereotype of Interpersonal Attraction Factor

Cindy Jackson has various interviews with the focal point being how her life changed after the multiple surgeries. She strongly believed that...