LAUSR

ABSTRACT The past decade has seen a dramatic increase in the number of women, particularly those between ages 19 and 34, undergoing cosmetic surgery in the United States. Against such a background, this study examines how cosmetic surgery media exposure influences young women’s behavioral intentions of undergoing those procedures. Special attention was paid to the notions of perceived media influence on self versus others as well as body esteem, as informed by the third-person effect literature. Analysis based on survey data collected from 346 female college students shows that the third-person perceptual bias (i.e., perceived media influence on others minus on oneself) was negatively associated with participants’ intention of undergoing cosmetic surgery and that changes of perceptual bias were contingent on one’s perceived body esteem. Theoretical contributions and implications for health-related practitioners were elaborated.