Being Inkquisitive: Tatoos, Self-Esteem, and Social-Anxiety

Overview

Objectives/Goals The existing literature regarding social anxiety and self-esteem among those with tattoos is limited and conflicting. Some findings suggest that those considering getting a tattoo need to question their motivation behind getting that tattoo, and even consult a psychologist before doing so, because of possible anxiety and self-esteem problems. The objective of this study was to determine whether there is a difference between individuals with- and without- tattoos, with respect to social anxiety and self-esteem. Methods/Materials Fifty two participants, with- and without-tattoos, aged 18 and higher were recruited into this study. After giving their informed consent, the participants completed a survey that asked a series of questions related to demographic characteristics, social anxiety and self-esteem. The Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation-II was used to evaluate social anxiety and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) was used to evaluate self-esteem. Descriptive statistics such as percentages, means and medians were used to describe the sample, and Chi-Square and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to test for statistical differences between those with- and without-tattoos. Results Of the 52 participants, 58% were females and the average age was 39 years old. On average, those without a tattoo were a couple of years older than those with a tattoo (40 vs. 38 years old). The average number of years of education completed was 17 for both groups. A significant difference was found between those with- and without-tattoos with respect to the social anxiety score, with those with tattoos scoring significantly lower on the social anxiety scale than those without tattoos (mean score 21.9 vs. 26.5). Also, even though not statistically significant, the self-esteem score was higher among those with tattoos (mean score 36.3 vs. 34.3). Conclusions/Discussion Even though existing literature indicates that people with tattoos may have higher anxiety and lower self-esteem than those without tattoos, our findings indicate otherwise. More specifically, we found that those who get tattoos have significantly lower social anxiety than those without tattoos. Our findings also suggest that those with tattoos may have higher self-esteem than those without tattoos; however, this later finding was not statistically significant and a larger study may be needed in order to determine its significance.

Competition history

• CSEF 2014 Behavioral & Social Sciences · Entry J0401

Resources

• CSEF project summary ↗

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