Researcher ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0005-5452-8876

Graduation Year

2024

Document Type

Open Access Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Organizational Studies

Reader 1

Barbara Junisbai

Reader 2

Dan Hirsch

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Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

Rights Information

© 2024 Craig Molly

Abstract

This undergraduate thesis investigates the beauty norms present at Scripps College, a historically women's college in California. The study extends previous research by introducing the concept of the 'beauty gap' between the Real Beauty Standard (RBS) and the Perceived Beauty Standard (PBS), highlighting the influence of meso-level norms within the college community. Utilizing a newly developed scale, the Attractiveness Standard Norms (ASN), in addition to the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale and the Self-Objectification Questionnaire, the research examines the evolution of beauty norms between Freshmen and Senior year. A sample of 57 respondents from the Freshman and Senior classes participated in the study, revealing clear differences in both actual and perceived beauty norms between the two classes. Seniors exhibited stronger adherence to Western beauty standards, endorsing traits such as makeup, long hair, and large breasts, while freshmen displayed more moderate preferences. This study could not make firm conclusions from the data due to the small sample size, but it proposes several avenues for future research.

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