Self Presentation through Appearance: A Manipulative vs. a Dramaturgical Approach

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Abstract
The sincerity of self presentation through personal appearance was examined through contrasting an interactionist interpretation of Goffman's dramaturgy with an “impression management” approach.“Impression management” position treats dramatization and conscious attention to one's performance as analogous to insincerity. In contrast, a dramaturgical interactionist position regards dramatization as the control of the style of performance, and as irrelevant to issues of sincerity.Analysis of forty accounts (open‐ended questionnaires) of British women highlighted the over simplification inherent in the impression management position, and provided support for a dramaturgical interactionist alternative.