Having lots of tattoos can, and usually does, indicate low self-respect. This is one of the findings of a study conducted by Liverpool University and presented at the British Psychological Society.
Participants from the North of England were asked about their reasons for having tattoos. The style, and location, of their tattoos were recorded,and they completed questionnaires about self-respect.
Findings highlighted the four main motivators for getting a tattoo: rebellion, aesthetic appearance, personal or emotional significance, and group affiliation. Men were more likely to have tattoos related to their group membership such as football teams or army regiments). However, women tended to have tattoos for rebellious, aesthetic, or reasons of sexual orientation.
Regardless of the reason for getting tattooed, people with three or more tattoos had significantly lower levels of self-respect, and for these people, rebellion, and group affiliation, also tended to predict low self-respect. For people with fewer tattoos, self-respect was lowest when they had a tattoo for aesthetic reasons
The study concluded "Tattooing has become more popular in recent years, especially amongst young woman, and there is a growing fascination with tattoos of celebrities. Tattoos are not just fashion accessories, but driven by a wide range of motivational factors that are significantly associated with self-esteem and self-respect. The British Psychological Society strongly suggests that people considering plastic surgery, or getting tattooed should be encouraged to question their motivation, and mental health, before deciding to permanently change their appearance. They go on to remind us that all forms of body adornment and clothing fashion are the result of man's attempting to copy nature and his own feelings of inferiority.
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