CSUF researchers study the use of makeup by women

Does a face full of makeup suggest a woman will be perceived as beautiful? Does a woman perceived as beautiful have a higher probability of being offered a job or a promotion? Does makeup affect whether a woman is perceived as a better leader? Are women who do not wear makeup putting themselves at a disadvantage?

Cal State Fullerton Associate Professor of Psychology Jessie Peissig is working to answer these questions and more.

“Women spend a great deal of time and money on makeup,” she said. “If you pick up nearly any women’s magazine, there will be at least one article on makeup. As a psychologist, I’m interested in understanding why women engage in this behavior and why we place so much importance on it.”

Peissig – with three undergraduate and one former graduate CSUF psychology students – is researching visual recognition and attractiveness in relation to women wearing makeup.

They are studying the “halo effect,” a psychological phenomenon that states the manner in which others perceive an individual – i.e., how attractive they believe the person to be – influences how they view the individual’s character or abilities.

“My hope is that our research will empower women by decreasing the likelihood that the makeup they wear – or don’t wear –will detract or distract from their abilities,” said Peissig, who has studied the topic for about five years.

For the research, the group recruited student and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute volunteers. Volunteers are photographed and filmed with varying amounts or types of makeup, as well as without makeup.

The team will observe how different makeup looks – eyeliner, lipstick or blush, for example – affect whether a woman is viewed as attractive.

They also wish to identify the point at which makeup no longer becomes attractive. For example, does too much makeup have the opposite effect and lead to a woman being perceived as unattractive?

“We are anticipating different levels of makeup can be perceived negatively,” Peissig said.

One theory as to why women have resorted to applying makeup for thousands of years is the instinct to be perceived as attractive by those around them, therefore increasing their chances of attracting a mate, Peissig said.

“It’s part of our DNA and evolutionary constitution,” she said.

According to a global market research study, by 2017 the global cosmetic and beauty care industry is expected to reach $265 billion, a number that does not faze Peissig.

“This doesn’t really surprise me,” Peissig said. “A study conducted by my friend and colleague, Dr. Sarah Hill, showed that women continue to spend money on beauty products even during tough economic times. Whatever drives us to use these products is powerful.”

“Something about it is very important,” she said. “We are interested in understanding.”

Recently, Peissig received the 2015 best article of the year award from the Psychonomic Society, on organization that promotes scientific research in psychology.

Peissig received the honor for her article, “Using the Reassignment Procedure to Test Object Representation in Pigeons and People,” which was published in the scientific journal Learning Behavior.

The article centered on her nearly two decades of pigeon research.

For this research, Peissig compared the similarities and differences in how pigeons perceive objects and their surroundings with that of human behavior.

Contact the writer: amarcos@ocregister.com

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