Cognitive, emotional and behavioral dimensions of body image in women interested in cosmetic surgery

The cosmetic surgery is one of the prevalent phenomenons in recent decades. Body image is a key factor for interest in cosmetic surgery, but body image is a multidimensional concept and all its dimensions should be studied. This study aimed to study cognitive, emotional and behavioral dimensions of body image in women interested in cosmetic surgery.
This study was a cross-sectional research with causal-comparative method. A sample of 600 female students, age 18 to 35 years, were selected from universities in Tehran by using multi-stage cluster random sampling methid, who completed a set of questionnaires including “Beliefs About Appearance Scale (BAAS)“, “Body Areas Satisfaction Scale (BASS)“, “the Body Image Coping Strategies Inventory (BICSI)“ and Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery Scale (ACSS). The collected data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA).
The students who were interested in cosmetic surgery got a higher score in components of body investment as cognitive dimension and body dissatisfaction as emotional dimension. Among the three behavioral components of body image, there was significant difference only in appearance fixing coping (P All of the cognitive, emotional and behavioral dimensions of body image are important in cosmetic surgery, and women interested in cosmetic surgery not only had body dissatisfaction, but also had dysfunctional attitudes about appearance important in interpersonal relationships, personal achievement and self-concept, and used strategies based on body modification. These findings can be used in prevention and intervention programs.