Background & Aims: Motivation for the cosmetic surgery has its roots in a combination of psychology, emotional, and personal factors. The aim of the present study was to compare the social competence and cognitive emotion regulation in rhinoplasty cosmetic surgery applicants and normal individuals.

Materials & Methods: The study was a causal comparative research. Statistical population of the study involved 116 rhinoplasty cosmetic surgery applicants that referred to two cosmetic surgery clinics in 2015 in Urmia city during a two-month period. About 20 people were selected through random sampling as major group and 20 normal individuals were matched with them as comparison group. The data were collected with the short version of Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire and Social Competence Questionnaire and the data were analyzed through multivariate analysis of covariance.

Results: The results of multivariate analysis of covariance showed that there was a significant difference between applicants for rhinoplasty cosmetic surgery and normal individuals in regard to social competence and cognitive emotion regulation. In other words, the mean of components of social competence and cognitive emotion regulation was different in both groups.

Conclusion: The results indicated that some personality traits such as social competence and cognitive emotion regulation may have an important role in the tendency to cosmetic surgery and paying attention to them can have an important role in reducing the demands of clients.

SOURCE: URMIA MED J 2016: 27(9): 743 ISSN: 1027-3727