Term of Award
Fall 2018
Degree Name
Master of Science in Experimental Psychology (M.S.)
Document Type and Release Option
Thesis (open access)
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Department
Department of Psychology
Committee Chair
Michael Nielsen
Committee Member 1
Dorthie Cross
Committee Member 2
Jason Slone
Abstract
The hijab, a symbol of modesty and privacy in the Islamic faith, negatively affects ratings of perceived attractiveness. Although postcolonial feminism strives to portray women as not one universal group, but as an incorporation of different races, ethnicities, social classes, and other cultures, the Western world may not be where it endeavors to be. In this study the impact of the hijab on people’s perceptions of attractiveness was examined. Participants rated four target photos of the same woman with and without a hijab, and with or without cosmetics. Attractiveness and trustworthiness was then assessed in each condition, between genders, in relation to personal feminism ratings, and in relation to religious schema beliefs. Based on the Halo Effect, I hypothesized that lower ratings of attractiveness would lead to lower ratings of trustworthiness. The data, however, did not conform to this effect. Participants who rated themselves as higher in Religious Schema, therefore identifying as less open-minded in religious belief, gave lower ratings of attractiveness for the women when she wore the hijab. Participants who endorsed feminism, however, showed with higher ratings in attractiveness for all conditions. Results are discussed in light of research on feminism and religious belief.
OCLC Number
1085541961
Catalog Permalink
https://galileo-georgiasouthern.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01GALI_GASOUTH/1r4bu70/alma9916218284302950
Recommended Citation
Swank, Courtney, "The Effect of Religious Dress on Perceived Attractiveness and Trustworthiness" (2018). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1856.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/1856
Research Data and Supplementary Material
No
Included in
Cognition and Perception Commons, Experimental Analysis of Behavior Commons, Human Factors Psychology Commons, Islamic Studies Commons, Multicultural Psychology Commons, Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, Personality and Social Contexts Commons, Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies Commons, Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons, Social Psychology Commons, Women's Studies Commons
