Rethink beauty, change how you feel: Mediating role of effort invested

Beauty is consequential, and its impact is pervasive. Evolutionarily, it is considered immutable. Over time, due to the influence of environmental beliefs around beauty, there has been a shift, indicating malleability. This study attempts to examine the impact of this shift in implicit beauty beliefs. We argue that an individual's implicit beauty beliefs will impact how they feel and what they do to enhance their appearance. Specifically, we examine the impact of implicit beauty beliefs on affective well-being and the mediating role of effort (exerted in appearance-enhancing activities). Furthermore, we hypothesize that satisfaction with the outcome of the effort invested will moderate the relationship between effort invested and affective well-being. Drawing on a sample of 342 participants, we tested these hypotheses using structural equation modelling. The findings suggest a significant indirect relationship between implicit beauty beliefs and affective well-being through effort invested in appearance-enhancing activities. The results also indicate that the intensity of the negative relationship between effort invested and affective well-being will lessen if satisfaction with the outcome is high. The study examines beauty as an attitudinal object, highlighting its impact on life outcomes. The implications are discussed in detail.