Attitudes towards breast cosmetic surgery: The role of individual and sociocultural factors

The aim of the present study was to establish how individual variables, such as self-monitoring and self-awareness, can contribute to women’s attitudes towards breast cosmetic surgery, beyond some sociocultural factors such as perceived media pressures, peer attributions, and the internalization of aesthetic ideals. Participants were 132 Italian women (mean age = 33.62, SD = 13.72; BMI = 21.43, SD = 3.22), who completed a questionnaire aimed at measuring the variables of interest. Path analysis indicated that perceived media pressures, peer attributions, and self-monitoring influenced participants’ attitudes towards breast cosmetic surgery through the internalization of beauty ideals. Both private and public self-awareness had a direct effect on the dependent variable; specifically, public self-awareness was positively associated with breast cosmetic surgery, while private self-awareness was negatively related to the dependent variable. These findings contribute to the understanding of the reasons that trigger women’s attitudes towards cosmetic surgery. Individuals who tend to conform to social norms are more likely to hold positive attitudes towards cosmetic surgery. Notably, such a tendency is not only determined by dispositional factors, but also by situational and transient cues. To identify personal reasons that lead individuals to consider breast cosmetic surgery could help to evaluate if these procedures can have a real positive impact on individuals’ wellbeing.