Incorporating physical appearance into one’s sense of self: Self-concept clarity, thin-ideal internalization, and appearance-self integration

Abstract

ABSTRACT We tested the hypothesis that individuals who lack a clear sense of their own identity incorporate their physical appearance into their sense of self. Study 1 (162 female students; 262 female community members) found that individuals low in self-concept clarity were more likely to consider their physical appearance an important part of their personal identity. Study 2 (278 female community members) and Study 3 (289 female community members) showed that the connection between low self-concept clarity and the tendency to define one’s identity in terms of one’s appearance was explained by thin-ideal internalization. Results are discussed in the context of the potential negative consequences, such as body dissatisfaction, that can come from defining one’s self in terms of one’s appearance.