Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the male perceiver's image evaluation on women's hairstyle and hair color, and to disclose the preference of the hairstyle and hair color. The experimental design was $2{\times}3{\times}3$ (hair $wave{\times}hair\;length{\times}hair$ color) factorial design by 3 independent variables. The stimuli were 18 women's upper body photographs which were output by computer simulation. The hairstyles were straight hair and wavy hair, and the types of the hair length were long, medium, and short hair. The hair colors were black, dark brown, and bright brown. Subjects were 154 men living in Seoul. The data were analyzed by using factor analysis, Cronbach's ${\alpha}$ reliability coefficient, three-way ANOVA, one-way ANOVA, and Duncan's multiple range test. The results of this study were as follows. Four image dimensions were derived by factor analysis. These were individuality, elegance, potency, and attractiveness. Male perceivers evaluated the women's long hairstyles to be more elegant than the short and the medium length hairs. The women's short hairstyles were perceived more potent than the long and the medium length hairs. The straight hairs were evaluated more elegant than the permed hairs, and the permed hairs were evaluated higher in individuality and attractiveness. The black hairs were perceived lowest in attractiveness, and the bright colors were perceived low in elegance. Male preferred the long brown straight hair first. They liked women's long hairs better than the short and the medium length hairs. Teenaged males preferred various hair colors more than those in their 20's and 30's did.