8/28/07

A study carried out by researchers from the Institute of Psychology (Russian Academy of Sciences) under the guidance of Tatiana Rebeko, PhD, report that a lady’s preference to skin creams with certain properties is connected with her personality strains. Psychologists have determined that referred properties of creams can tell something about how their owner copes with stresses, finds the way out of conflict situations, and about the person’s self-appraisal. The researchers call it the "structure of feminine identity."

The study involved 28 women, aged 22 to 65. Before asking them questions, the psychologists studied sites and catalogues of the leading aesthetic companies to single out basic useful properties of creams produced by them. Thirty nine useful properties were united into six groups: protection, purification, treatment, nourishment, antistress, and aging prevention.

The women were required to represent "a unique aesthetic cream" by describing its properties "on behalf of a well-known cosmetician" in a game situation. It was important to understand what merits, in their opinion, "an ideal cream."

The outcomes of the presentation were brought into correlation with results of psychological tests, which had been offered to the women under investigation. The tests were intended to assess ways of getting out of a conflict situation, means of coping with fear, and self-appraisal.

Preference to the category of "protection" properties is the evidence of psychological vulnerability and internal proneness to conflict, emotional response to arising problems, and impossibility to apply for help to other people.

The women who prefer the "purification" category are disposed to move their personal problems outside as if "purifying" from them.

The ones who believe that "anti-stress" properties are important, would get particular pleasure from relaxation after fatigue.

The "treatment" category is particularly important for women of advanced age.

The women who consider "nutrition" to be the most important are rational and successfully cope with resolving problems in a stressful situation.

[www.medicalnewstoday.com, August 19, 2007]