The Role of General and Media-specific Social Comparisons on Body Dissatisfaction

The Role of General and Media-specific Social Comparisons on Body Dissatisfaction PDF Author: Nicole D. Huelskamp
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Mass media
Languages : en
Pages : 108

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Book Description
Abstract: Research has shown that women are adversely affected by the media portrayals of extremely thin women. Exposure to these images often leads to body dissatisfaction which is often a precursor to the development of eating disorders. Research has used social comparison as a framework for why only some women are affected more negatively than others from this media exposure. This study was intended to extend this research by investigating the relationship between general social comparison and media- specific social comparison and their effects on body dissatisfaction using a mediation model. In a survey of 279 college-age women from a large Midwestern university, the data indicated that both general social comparison and media-specific social comparison play a role in body dissatisfaction. In fact, general social comparison was still significant after controlling for both media-specific social comparisons with glamour and athletic media images. What this study has shown is that social comparison seems to work both through the general and media-specific paths in predicting body dissatisfaction and that research should continue to investigate this relationship.

The Role of General and Media-specific Social Comparisons on Body Dissatisfaction

The Role of General and Media-specific Social Comparisons on Body Dissatisfaction PDF Author: Nicole D. Huelskamp
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Mass media
Languages : en
Pages : 108

Get Book Here

Book Description
Abstract: Research has shown that women are adversely affected by the media portrayals of extremely thin women. Exposure to these images often leads to body dissatisfaction which is often a precursor to the development of eating disorders. Research has used social comparison as a framework for why only some women are affected more negatively than others from this media exposure. This study was intended to extend this research by investigating the relationship between general social comparison and media- specific social comparison and their effects on body dissatisfaction using a mediation model. In a survey of 279 college-age women from a large Midwestern university, the data indicated that both general social comparison and media-specific social comparison play a role in body dissatisfaction. In fact, general social comparison was still significant after controlling for both media-specific social comparisons with glamour and athletic media images. What this study has shown is that social comparison seems to work both through the general and media-specific paths in predicting body dissatisfaction and that research should continue to investigate this relationship.

Self-Concept Clarity

Self-Concept Clarity PDF Author: Jennifer Lodi-Smith
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 331971547X
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 270

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Book Description
This welcome resource traces the evolution of self-concept clarity and brings together diverse strands of research on this important and still-developing construct. Locating self-concept clarity within current models of personality, identity, and the self, expert contributors define the construct and its critical roles in both individual and collective identity and functioning. The book examines commonly-used measures for assessing clarity, particularly in relation to the more widely understood concept of self-esteem, with recommendations for best practices in assessment. In addition, a wealth of current data highlights the links between self-concept clarity and major areas of mental wellness and dysfunction, from adaptation and leadership to body image issues and schizophrenia. Along the way, it outlines important future directions in research on self-concept clarity. Included in the coverage: Situating self-concept clarity in the landscape of personality. Development of self-concept clarity across the lifespan. Self-concept clarity and romantic relationships. Who am I and why does it matter? Linking personal identity and self-concept clarity. Consequences of self-concept clarity for well-being and motivation. Self-concept clarity and psychopathology. Self-Concept Clarity fills varied theoretical, empirical, and practical needs across mental health fields, and will enhance the work of academics, psychologists interested in the construct as an area of research, and clinicians working with clients struggling with developing and improving their self-concept clarity.

Media Exposure and Body Dissatisfaction

Media Exposure and Body Dissatisfaction PDF Author: L. Alison Davis
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Body image in women
Languages : en
Pages : 168

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Book Description


The Media and Body Image

The Media and Body Image PDF Author: Maggie Wykes
Publisher: SAGE
ISBN: 9780761942481
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 260

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Book Description
Drawing together literature from sociology, gender studies and psychology, this text offers a broad discussion of the topic in the context of socio-cultural change, gender politics and self-identity.

The Impact of Social Media on Individuals' Self-esteem and Body Image

The Impact of Social Media on Individuals' Self-esteem and Body Image PDF Author: Hanna Belhorodska
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
ISBN: 3346952835
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 17

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Book Description
Seminar paper from the year 2021 in the subject Psychology - Social Psychology, , language: English, abstract: This research paper explores the impact of social media on individuals' self-esteem and body image, considering their relevance in psychological well-being. The paper employs a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative methods to understand the complex interplay between social media usage and these psychological constructs. The study reviews theoretical frameworks, prior research, and identifies gaps in the existing literature. It employs a cross-sectional design, using self-report questionnaires and interviews to collect data from diverse participants recruited through social media platforms. The results are analyzed quantitatively using statistical techniques and qualitatively through thematic analysis. The paper discusses the findings in relation to existing literature, offers practical recommendations for individuals and stakeholders, acknowledges limitations, and suggests future research directions. Ultimately, this research paper contributes to a deeper understanding of how social media impacts individuals' self-esteem and body image, informing strategies to promote positive psychological outcomes in the digital age.

The Body Project

The Body Project PDF Author: Eric Stice
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0199859248
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 305

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Book Description
Eating disorders are among the most prevalent psychiatric disorders in adolescent and young adult females, affecting approximately 10% of young women. Unfortunately, less than half of those with eating disorders receive treatment, which can be very expensive. Thus, effective prevention has become a major public health priority. The Body Project is an empirically based eating disorder prevention program that offers young women an opportunity to critically consider the costs of pursuing the ultra-thin ideal promoted in the mass media, which improves body acceptance and reduces risk for developing eating disorders. Young women with elevated body dissatisfaction are recruited for group sessions in which they participate in a series of verbal, written, and behavioral exercises in which they consider the negative effects of pursuing the thin-ideal. Chapters provide information on the significance of body image and eating disorders, the intervention theory, the evidence base which supports the theory, recruitment and training procedures, solutions to common challenges, and a new program aimed at reducing obesity onset, as well as intervention scripts and participant handouts. The Body Project is the only currently available eating disorder prevention program that has been shown to reduce risk for onset of eating disorders and received support in trials conducted by several independent research groups. The group sessions are brief and fun to lead, and this guide provides all of the necessary information to walk clinicians, teachers, counselors, and volunteers through leading the program for vulnerable young women.

Media Images and Female Body Dissatisfaction

Media Images and Female Body Dissatisfaction PDF Author: Hui Xin Ann-Marie Lew
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Body image disturbance
Languages : en
Pages : 232

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Book Description


Body Image

Body Image PDF Author: Sarah Grogan
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134754361
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 239

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Book Description
Sarah Grogan presents original data from interviews with men, women and children to complement existing research, and provides a comprehensive investigation of cultural influences on body image.

Comparing to Perceived Perfection

Comparing to Perceived Perfection PDF Author: Danielle R. Ridolfi
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Body image disturbance
Languages : en
Pages : 100

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Book Description
Body dissatisfaction is a multidimensional concept tapping behavioral, cognitive, and affective domains (Rosen, 1992). In addition to being a source of psychological distress, body dissatisfaction is a precursor for eating disorders (Stice, 2002). Exposure to media images of thin women has been shown to increase body dissatisfaction among young women (Groesz, Levine, & Murnen, 2002). Furthermore, research shows that actively comparing weight and shape to a more attractive target is associated with body dissatisfaction (Leahy, Crowther, & Mickelson, 2007). Body image cognitive distortions and socially-prescribed perfectionism may influence social comparisons to media images and peers by strengthening the relationship between social comparisons and body dissatisfaction; however, studies of body image cognitive distortions and socially-prescribed perfectionism as moderators are lacking. Although social comparisons have been studied in the laboratory, naturalistic studies using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) provide results that can be generalized to real-world phenomena. The present study examined the effect of social comparisons in the natural environment. It was hypothesized that making social comparisons to media images and peers would result in an increase in the four dependent variables: body checking, body dissatisfaction, guilt, and negative affect. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that body image cognitive distortions and socially prescribed perfectionism would moderate the relationship between social comparisons to media images and peers and the four dependent variables. Participants were 97 female undergraduates (mean age = 19.51, SD = 3.31; mean BMI = 24.22, SD = 5.32). Following informed consent, all participants completed a battery of questionnaires. Participants were instructed to fill out a diary questionnaire on the PDA whenever the alarm sounded. The alarm sounded at five random times each day for five days. Questionnaires imbedded in the PDA assessed whether or not participants made a social comparison to a media image or a peer and also included items assessing affect, body checking, and body image self-esteem. Results showed that making a social comparison to a media image resulted in a statistically significant increase in body checking, guilt, and negative affect and making a social comparison to a peer resulted in a statistically significant increase in body checking and guilt. Body image cognitive distortions moderated the relationship between social comparisons to peers and body checking. As body image cognitive distortions increased, body checking increased for those making a peer comparison. These findings have important implications for the prevention of body dissatisfaction and eating disorders.

Fat Talk

Fat Talk PDF Author: Mimi Nichter
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674041542
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 283

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Book Description
Teen-aged girls hate their bodies and diet obsessively, or so we hear. News stories and reports of survey research often claim that as many as three girls in five are on a diet at any given time, and they grimly suggest that many are “at risk” for eating disorders. But how much can we believe these frightening stories? What do teenagers mean when they say they are dieting? Anthropologist Mimi Nichter spent three years interviewing middle school and high school girls—lower-middle to middle class, white, black, and Latina—about their feelings concerning appearance, their eating habits, and dieting. In Fat Talk, she tells us what the girls told her, and explores the influence of peers, family, and the media on girls’ sense of self. Letting girls speak for themselves, she gives us the human side of survey statistics. Most of the white girls in her study disliked something about their bodies and knew all too well that they did not look like the envied, hated “perfect girl.” But they did not diet so much as talk about dieting. Nichter wryly argues—in fact some of the girls as much as tell her—that “fat talk” is a kind of social ritual among friends, a way of being, or creating solidarity. It allows the girls to show that they are concerned about their weight, but it lessens the urgency to do anything about it, other than diet from breakfast to lunch. Nichter concludes that if anything, girls are watching their weight and what they eat, as well as trying to get some exercise and eat “healthfully” in a way that sounds much less disturbing than stories about the epidemic of eating disorders among American girls. Black girls, Nichter learned, escape the weight obsession and the “fat talk” that is so pervasive among white girls. The African-American girls she talked with were much more satisfied with their bodies than were the white girls. For them, beauty was a matter of projecting attitude (“’tude”) and moving with confidence and style. Fat Talk takes the reader into the lives of girls as daughters, providing insights into how parents talk to their teenagers about their changing bodies. The black girls admired their mothers’ strength; the white girls described their mothers’ own “fat talk,” their fathers’ uncomfortable teasing, and the way they and their mothers sometimes dieted together to escape the family “curse”—flabby thighs, ample hips. Moving beyond negative stereotypes of mother–daughter relationships, Nichter sensitively examines the issues and struggles that mothers face in bringing up their daughters, particularly in relation to body image, and considers how they can help their daughters move beyond rigid and stereotyped images of ideal beauty.