PREDICTORS OF DRIVE FOR MUSCULARITY AMONG ADOLESCENT MALES

Abstract

Abstract: The aim of the current study was to explore body satisfaction, peer pressure and body shame as predictors of drive for muscularity among adolescent males. A total of 213 adolescent males completed the questionnaires assessing body satisfaction, peer pressure, body shame and drive for muscularity. The results indicated that drive for muscularity was predicted by body shame and body satisfaction. Participants' BMI, age, and experienced level of peer pressure did not play a role as significant predictors of drive for muscularity. Future longitudinal research should focus on clarifying the role of body shame in the development of drive for muscularity and extreme body changing behaviors.Keywords: adolescent males, drive for mu s cu la rity, body shame, body satisfaction, peer pressureIntroductionBody dissatisfaction is defined as a negative evaluation of one's figure, body part, muscularity/tone, weight or size (Grogan, 2008). Traditionally, body dissatisfaction has been characterized as a predominantly female issue. However, recent research has shown an increasing recognition of the body dissatisfaction a mon g a dolescen t boys (Presnell, Bearman, & Stice, 2004). Evidence suggests that as boys enter adolescence they begin to experience higher levels of body dissatisfaction (Schur, Sanders, & Steiner, 2000). Some estimates indicate that 30-75% of adolescent boys are dissatisfied with their bodies (Markey & Markey, 2005). The data collected from the study done by Kostanski, Fisher and Gullone (2004) showed that both the underweight and overweight adolescent boys reported higher levels of body dissatisfaction compared to normal weight boys. The prevalence of male body dissatisfaction has increased to the extent that dissatisfaction with overall body size and particular upper body parts (i.e., shoulders, arms, chest) has been described as normative (Dakanalis & Riva, 2013).McCabe et al. (2012) stated that male body concerns are qualitatively different from females'. While the majority of females desired thinner physique, males often express their body dissatisfaction in terms of muscle tone and size (Smolak, Murnen, & Thompson, 2005). Grossbard, Neighbors and Larimer (2011) found that males' ideal body figure was significantly more muscular than their current body figure. Males also overestimated the level of muscularity that women find attractive in men, which was consistent with past research that suggests that males, unlike females, typically strive to increase muscle mass rather than lose weight. Furthermore, growing amount of research demonstrates the importance of being muscular in both adolescent males and adult men (Jones & Crawford, 2005). In contrast to the female thin ideal, the ideal body for males is both lean and muscular (Frederick et al., 2007), which presents an equally unattainable standard to average male. McCreary and Sasse (2000) proposed the construct drive for muscularity to represent the males' desire or need to become more muscular. Labeled as a drive, it suggests that individuals may have an aroused state of intrapersonal tension that is generated from perceptions of insufficient musculature, which results in actions to reduce this tension, muscular discrepancies and increases behaviors that are indicative of muscle building to ascertain these ideal physiques (Bergeron & Tylka, 2007). One of the main reasons muscularity is so important to men and boys is that it is associated with perceptions of their masculinity; in other words, the more muscular a man or boy is, the more masculine he is (McCreary, Saucier, & Courtenay, 2005). Another study h as shown t hat males who adopted more masculine gender roles and stereotypical male behaviors experienced greater drive for muscularity (Swami & Voracek, 2012). Adolescent boys may experience perceived social pressure to conform to the muscular ideal in similar ways as adolescent girls may feel pressured to conform to the thin ideal (Smolak et al. …