Satisfaction with clothing and personal appearance related to self-esteem and participation in activities among full-time homemakers

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationships among satisfaction with clothing, satisfaction with physical appearance, concern over weight, self-esteem, and participation in leisure-time activities among a sample of full-time homemakers. To test these relationships, five measures were used. Satisfaction with clothing was measured by comparing the actual and ideal ratings of 34 aspects of clothing or wardrobe. A measurement of satisfaction with physical appearance was obtained by ratings of 24 aspects of the physical body on a satisfaction-dissatisfaction continuum. Concern over weight was measured by summing the ratings of five aspects (bust, hips, thighs, waist, and weight) from the satisfaction with physical appearance measure. The three above-mentioned-measures were developed for this study and pre-tested on students enrolled in Oregon State University clothing selection classes. The results of the pre-test were analyzed with appropriate changes being made where necessary. Self-esteem was measured by use of two scales (Self-Regard and Self-Acceptance) from the Personal Orientation Inventory by Shostrom (1963). An adaptation of "Leisure Participation and Enjoyment" by Pace (1941) was used to measure participation in leisure-time activities. A short questionnaire was also developed for purposes of sample description. Participants in the study were full-time homemakers with children enrolled in the Pre-School Story Hour Program of the Corvallis Public Library. The first half of the satisfaction with clothing measure (actual description of clothing), the satisfaction with physical appearance measure, and the Personal Orientation Inventory were administered to the women at the library while their children attended the story hour. The remainder of the tests were completed by the participants at home and returned by mail. Information describing the sample revealed that the majority were between the ages of 25 and 35, were college-educated, and were married to men of high educational and occupational attainments. Because of these factors, generalizations from the study are limited to other full-time homemakers of similar background. Analysis of the data revealed that there were significant relationships at the .01 level between satisfaction with clothing and satisfaction with physical appearance, and between satisfaction with physical appearance and low concern over weight. Relationships significant at the .05 level were found between satisfaction with clothing and low concern over weight, and between self-esteem and participation in leisure-time activities. Satisfaction with clothing, satisfaction with physical appearance, and concern over weight were not related to self-esteem or to participation in leisure-time activities. It was concluded that satisfaction with clothing and appearance are closely related and that self-esteem is a complex phenomenon requiring further study and investigation. It was suggested that both self-esteem and participation in activities could be better studied in relation to satisfaction with clothing, satisfaction with appearance and concern over weight by differentiating among types of activities which vary in degree of social contact and intimacy