Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate body cathexis and clothing involvement by demographic characteristics and to indentify the relationship between body cathexis and clothing involvment. Five aspects of body cathexis(lower body, head/upper body, height, weight, torso) were assessed with 17 Likert type questionnaires adapted from the previous researches, and 24 items of clothing involvement were measured. The questionnaire was administered to 430 women in Taegu, Korea. The data were analyzed using percentage, frequency, factor analysis, ANOVA, Sceffe test, t-test, and Pearson's Correlation Analysis. The results of the study were as follows; 1. The body cathexis showed head/upper body, height, torso, lower body, weight in order of satisfaction level. Especially lower body and weight part were shown as the most unsatisfactory body parts. Age of 20s' showed the lowest body cathexis, and those who had the higher educational background and family income were more satisfied with their bodies. 2. Five dimensions of clothing involvement were derived by factor analysis such as fashion, interest, pleasure, symbolism, and perceived buying risk. 3. There were significant relationships between clothing involvement dimensions and demographic characteristics such as age, educational background and family income level. Those who were younger showed positive relationship partially among fashion, interest and pleasure of clothing dimensions but showed negative relationship in total clothing involvement. Those who had higher educational background and family income showed positive clothing involvement than married women and empolyed showed higher clothing involvement with symbolism and perceived buying risk than unemployed women partially but not in total clothing involvement with symbolism and perceived buying risk than unemployed women partially but not in total clothing involvement. 4. There were significant relationships between body cathexis and interest, perceived buying risk of clothing involvement partially. However, the correlation between body cathexis and total clothing involvement was relatively low.

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