Resumo

MOREIRA, Helena  e  CANAVARRO, Maria Cristina. A adaptação ao cancro da mama nas fases de diagnóstico e sobrevivência: Será o investimento na aparência um factor explicativo relevante?. Aná. Psicológica [online]. 2011, vol.29, n.4, pp.505-520. ISSN 0870-8231.

Appearance investment is an important factor for the explanation of individual differences in the adjustment to breast cancer-related appearance changes. It concerns the importance an individual places on their appearance and encompasses the self-evaluative salience facet (SES; the importance an individual places on physical appearance for their definition of self-worth) and motivational salience facet (MS; the individual’s efforts to be or feel attractive). This study aims to analyse its role on the adjustment to the diagnosis and survival phases of the disease. The sample encompasses 82 newly-diagnosed breast cancer patients and 86 breast cancer survivors. No differences were observed between groups on both facets of investment. Additionally, both facets contributed to the explanation of several adjustment indicators, particularly among survivors, with SM being associated with more adaptive indicators and SES with more dysfunctional outcomes. This study demonstrates that understanding the value that women attributes to their appearance is extremely important for their adjustment, in both phases of breast cancer.

Palavras-chave : Adjustment; Appearance investment; Breast cancer; Motivational salience; Self-evaluative salience.

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