HALF OF UK WOMEN REJECT A COMPLIMENT WHEN GIVEN

ALMOST HALF OF UK WOMEN REJECT A COMPLIMENT WHEN GIVEN (52%)

Embarrassment named as number one reason for rejecting a compliment.

Men more likely to accept a compliment when given.

Telling a woman she looks happy can make her day, a new study has found.

The simple compliment provokes a better reaction than saying she is young for her age, or commenting on her ability, a weight loss or her dress sense.

A report from leading online fashion retailer JD Williams has revealed that offering compliments can prove tricky and have the opposite effect to what is intended, leaving over half of women embarrassed.

While giving the right compliment can make a person glow with pride and provide a morale boost, a throwaway line can have the opposite effect.

The survey reveals younger women especially often don’t know how to handle a compliment, with almost seven in ten finding it awkward. Whilst older women are better at being able to deal with a compliment. Even then, almost one in two (47%) struggle when praised.

Embarrassment is given as the main reason for not being able to accept a compliment (61%), followed by not wanting to draw attention to themselves (55%), feeling uncomfortable (47%) or thinking the words weren’t meant sincerely (38%).

Compliments given by friends are seen as the most genuine, followed by family members and partners. Compliments from work colleagues are greeted with suspicion by one in two, while two thirds of compliments from a stranger are met with wariness

The JD Williams study carried out by YouGov questioned over 2,000 people on their reaction to being given a compliment. It comes as the online retailer, which caters to the 40+ market, launches its new brand campaign, encouraging women to start accepting compliments when offered.

One in five women find it hard to accept any praise especially from a man. Women are four times more likely to regard a compliment made by someone of the same sex more genuinely made than, when offered by a man.

Almost two thirds of women worry about how they appear to other people and struggle with their own looks, body size and shape. Three in ten women regard a compliment about their weight as insulting.

By comparison men don’t have the same anxieties with one in seven men believing they are attractive compared with one in 30 women. Most women describe themselves as ‘average’ (45%) – and this rises with age.  The different attitude to compliments is also revealed by almost two thirds of men saying they like being given a boost.

Offering compliments on social media is not regarded in the same light as face to face compliments even among Internet adapt 18-24 year olds. Almost all of those asked for the study 94% regard ticking likes as superficial.

The study shows women had a difficulty in accepting a compliment at face value because they felt insecure, shy or had low self-esteem though this declined as women got older.

Spokesperson Suzi Burns from JD Williams said: “Attitudes to compliments is an interesting area to explore, as most people’s reactions to them are subconscious. From previous customer insights, we know this is a group of women who are feeling confident and embracing this stage of their life, so it wasn’t too surprising to see the research reveal that older women are less likely to reject compliments verses their younger counterparts. However, women generally feel uncomfortable accepting a compliment which is disheartening, as is how many women would describe themselves as ‘insecure’. If we as a brand can help them feel confident in what they wear, for example, this may in turn help women feel more comfortable about accepting compliments when offered.”

The online retailer revealed the research findings alongside a series of portraits taken by celebrity photographer Nicky Johnston. The images document the expressions of four women, Jenny Stoute, age 54; Nese E Schaffer-Halil, 41; Coral Manson, 47 and Ruth Davis, 43, before and after receiving a compliment – capturing their immediate reactions on camera resulting in a mixed range of expressions from shock to embarrassment to happiness.

The retailer has also created a short film featuring the women discussing the research findings.

The full research findings can be found here: https://www.jdwilliams.co.uk/shop/page/uks-attitudes-to-compliments-revealed/show.action