Do people where you work meet rejection based on their appearance?
Apparently that’s what they’re telling others…. Or at least many of them … according to a recent research. Furthermore … you’d be interested in a new study shows how anxiety over this problem wears on people’s mental and physical well-being.
Research by Dr. Lora Park a University at Buffalo psychologist shows evidence
that some people grow anxious because they expect to be rejected based on their physical appearance. This problem showed serious implications for both men and women in the workplace. For instance, their anxiety over rejection caused people to become preoccupied with their appearance and weight in detrimental ways. Who are these workers?
Watch for people who avoid eating when hungry, who exercise compulsively and who binge or purge, Dr. Lora Park discovered.
Participants with higher sensitivity and who expected to be rejected … based on appearance … also tended to compare their physical attractiveness to others and to come away feeling “lesser than” through these comparisons. Does that surprise you? Does it happen where you work?
Not surprisingly, people who expect rejected – based on their appearance, also tend to feel lonely, unwanted and isolated, at work. So what can be done?
Interestingly, this study showed that any reminder of one's strengths or close relationships appear to reduce negative effects of thinking about poor aspects of one's appearance. What do you think?
Ellen, In past I think you posted a blog that focused on other research findings showing that people who are physically attrative tend to do better in social situations. Perhaps folks who concentrate only on attractiveness would do well to focus on their gifts and talents, as you suggest, since attractive people can only do so much with looks. Do you recall the other study?
Posted by: Robyn McMaster | January 29, 2007 6:33 AM | Permalink to Comment