Appearance Comparison Research Articles

Media literacy as a prevention intervention for college women at low- or high-risk for eating disorders

This study examined whether the media literacy program, ARMED, is an effective prevention intervention for college women at low- or high-risk for an eating disorder. Changes in eating disorder risk factors were assessed in low- ( n = 26) and high-risk ( n = 19) women participating in a two-session media literacy intervention as compared to low- ( n = 31) and high-risk ( n = 16) controls. Women at high-risk for an eating disorder reported significant decreases in body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, feelings of ineffectiveness, and internalization of societal standards of beauty after participating in ARMED, whereas control participants did not. No significant decreases in perfectionism, physical appearance comparisons, or awareness of societal standards of beauty were reported among high-risk participants. Changes in eating disorder risk factors were not found among low-risk participants, regardless of treatment condition. Findings suggest that media literacy may be an effective secondary prevention intervention for eating disorders.

The tripartite influence model of body image and eating disturbance: A replication with adolescent girls

The tripartite influence model of body image and eating disturbance is a recent theoretical approach that includes a test of direct (peer, parental, and media factors) and mediational links (internalization of societal appearance standards, appearance comparison processes) as factors potentially leading to body dissatisfaction and eating disturbance. The theory was evaluated in the current study in a sample of 391 adolescent females. A structural equation model that evaluated the tripartite model replicated previous findings reported by Keery, van den Berg and Thompson (2004) [Keery, H., van den Berg, & Thompson, J. K. (2004). A test of the tripartite influence model of body image and eating disturbance in adolescent girls. Body Image: An International Journal of Research, 1, 237–251.]. Additionally, a second model extended these findings, suggesting that peer and media influences are more important than parental influences. The results are discussed in light of the need for prevention programs to incorporate formative influences and mediational processes in the construction of intervention strategies.

Relationships Between Men’s and Women’s Body Image and Their Psychological, Social, and Sexual Functioning

This study was designed to examine the relationships between different aspects of body image and psychological, social, and sexual functioning throughout adulthood. The respondents were 211 men and 226 women (age range 18–86 years; mean = 42.26). Respondents completed measures of self-rated attractiveness, body satisfaction, body image importance, body image behaviors, appearance comparison, social physique anxiety, self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and social and sexual functioning. Body image was associated with self-esteem for all groups, but was unrelated to other aspects of psychological, social, and sexual functioning. There were some exceptions; a disturbance in body image was related to problematic social and sexual functioning among middle-aged men and to depression and anxiety symptoms in late adulthood among men and women. Middle-aged men who presented with the type of body image disturbance typical of women were more likely to have impaired interpersonal functioning. These results demonstrate that social aspects of body image appear to be important in understanding psychological functioning in later life.

Idealized media images and adolescent body image: “comparing” boys and girls

Sociocultural theories of body image suggest that body dissatisfaction results from unrealistic societal beauty ideals, and one way of transmitting these ideals is through the mass media. The present research aimed to examine the effect of exposure to images of idealized beauty in the media on adolescent girls’ and boys’ body image. The participants (595 adolescents) viewed television commercials containing either images of the thin ideal for women, images of the muscular ideal for men, or non-appearance television commercials. Body dissatisfaction was measured before and after commercial viewing. It was found that exposure to idealized commercials led to increased body dissatisfaction for girls but not for boys. Idealized commercials led to increased negative mood and appearance comparison for girls and boys, although the effect on appearance comparison was stronger for girls. Further, participants high on appearance investment reported greater appearance comparison after viewing idealized commercials than those less strongly invested in their appearance. The results suggest the immediate impact of the media on body image is both stronger and more normative for girls than for boys, but that some boys may also be affected.

Determinants of body-image shame

While research has established a critical relationship between body-image shame and eating disorder symptomatology, no studies have examined factors contributing to body-image shame. As such, the present study assessed the contributions of internalisation of the thin ideal, appearance-related teasing, physical appearance-related comparisons, global self-worth, body-image esteem, teasing history and parental care and parental overprotection. Participants were 146 female undergraduate students aged between 18 and 25. Internalisation of the thin ideal was found to indirectly predict increases in body-image shame through appearance comparisons, while negative body-image esteem indirectly predicted increased body-image shame via global self-worth. Contrary to expectations, parental bonding practices and a history of weight-related teasing do not predict vulnerability to body-image shame, directly or indirectly. Collectively, body-image esteem, global self-worth, appearance comparison and internalisation of the thin ideal account for 62% of the variance in body-image shame.

An evaluation of the Tripartite Influence Model of body dissatisfaction and eating disturbance with adolescent girls

The Tripartite Influence Model of body image and eating disturbance proposes that three formative influences (peer, parents, and media) affect body image and eating problems through two mediational mechanisms: internalization of the thin-ideal and appearance comparison processes. The current study evaluated this model in a sample of 325 sixth through eighth grade girls. Simple path analyses indicated that internalization and comparison fully mediated the relationship between parental influence and body dissatisfaction and partially mediated the relationship between peer influence and body dissatisfaction. Additionally, internalization and comparison partially mediated the relationship between media influence and body dissatisfaction. Six a priori SEM models based on the full Tripartite Influence Model were also evaluated. A resulting model was found to be an adequate fit to the data, supporting the viability of the Tripartite Model as a useful framework for understanding processes that may predispose young women to develop body image disturbances and eating dysfunction.

The Role of Social Comparison in the Effect of Magazine Advertisements on Women's Mood and Body Dissatisfaction

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the role of social comparison processes in women's responses to images of thin-idealized female beauty. A sample of 126 women viewed magazine advertisements containing full-body, body part, or product images. Instructional set was also manipulated with three levels: control, appearance focus, and social comparison. Mood and body dissatisfaction were measured immediately before and after advertisement viewing, while state weight anxiety and the amount of appearance comparison engaged in were measured only after the advertisements. It was found that exposure to either body part or full body images led to increased negative mood and body dissatisfaction, while the amount of comparison processing was affected by both image type and instructional set. Importantly, regression analyses showed that the effects of image type on mood and body dissatisfaction were mediated by the amount of social comparison reported. It was concluded that the processing in which women engage ...

The Tripartite Influence model of body image and eating disturbance: A covariance structure modeling investigation testing the mediational role of appearance comparison

Recent theoretical approaches to the etiology of eating disorders and body image disturbances have begun to focus on multifactorial models. In the current study, the Tripartite Influence model was examined in a large sample of college females (ages 18–22). This model proposes that three primary core sources of influence—parents, peers and media—contribute to the development of body image and eating disturbances. Additionally, the model suggests that at least two factors mediate the relationship between influences and disturbance—appearance comparison and internalization of media information. In this study, appearance comparison was examined as a mediational link between peer, family and media influence variables and the outcome disturbance measures of eating dysfunction and body image dissatisfaction. Covariance structure modeling (CSM) was used to test the proposed pathways. The results indicated that appearance comparison mediated the effects of family and media influences on body dissatisfaction, which in turn influenced restrictive and bulimic behaviors. In addition, peer influences had a direct influence on restriction. Perfectionism was hypothesized to relate to body dissatisfaction, but was in fact found to influence appearance comparison. The findings were limited by the necessity of several modifications to the originally proposed models, yet offer replication and extension of previous work with appearance comparison and support for further testing of the Tripartite Influence model.

Predictors of vulnerability to reduced body image satisfaction and psychological wellbeing in response to exposure to idealized female media images in adolescent girls

Predictors of change in body satisfaction, depressed mood, anxiety and anger, were examined following exposure to idealized female advertising images in Grades 7 and 10 girls. Stable body dissatisfaction, physical appearance comparison tendency, internalization of thin ideal, self-esteem, depression, identity confusion and body mass index (BMI) were assessed. One week later, participants viewed magazine images, before and after which they completed assessments of state body satisfaction, state depression, state anxiety and state anger. Participants were randomly allocated to view either images of idealized females (experimental condition) or fashion accessories (control condition). For both grades, there was a significant decrease in state body satisfaction and a significant increase in state depression attributable to viewing the female images. In Grade 7 girls in the experimental condition, decrease in state body satisfaction was predicted by stable body dissatisfaction and BMI, while significant predictors of decreases in the measures of negative affect included internalization of the thin-ideal and appearance comparison. In Grade 10 girls, reduction in state body satisfaction and increase in state depression was predicted by internalization of the thin-ideal, appearance comparison and stable body dissatisfaction. These findings indicate the importance of individual differences in short-term reaction to viewing idealized media images.

Social Comparison And Body Image: An Investigation Of Body Comparison Processes Using Multidimensional Scaling

A total of 1,760 females and males were assessed for cognitive social comparison processes regarding physical appearance. Participants ranged in age from middle school (7th and 8th graders) to college juniors and seniors. Multidimensional scaling techniques were used as the analytical strategy. The results revealed the existence of two primary comparison dimensions: weight/non-weight and muscle/non-muscle. Males and females differed substantially in the cognitive organization of appearance comparison schemas along these two dimensions. Females emphasized body sites and parts along the weight/non-weight continuum whereas, for males, body areas along the muscle/non-muscle dimension were emphasized. Essentially no developmental trends were identified: comparison schemas for 7th graders through college seniors were virtually identical. The findings are discussed in light of the emerging role of body comparison tendencies as a potential risk factor for body image and eating disturbances.

Predictors of body image dissatisfaction in elementary-age school girls

Concerns about weight, shape, body image, dieting, and eating are evident among elementary-age school girls [Int. J. Eating Disord. 10 (1991) 199; J. Adolesc. Health 12 (1991) 307; Pediatrics 84 (1989) 482; J. Clin. Psychol. 21 (1992) 41; Addict. Behav. (2000).]. Body image dissatisfaction, found to predict the formation of eating disturbances in longitudinal studies [Eating Disord.: J. Treat. Prev. 2 (1994) 114; Int. J. Eating Disord. 18 (1995) 221.], is likely a necessary precursor of eating disturbance development [J. Abnorm. Psychol. 102 (1993) 438.]. Turning back the etiological clock, this study examines the association between body image dissatisfaction and four potential areas of influence, including peer relationships, family characteristics, personality features, and body mass index, among girls in grades three, four, and five. Each conceptual area significantly contributed to the prediction of body image dissatisfaction. The combination of statistically significant variables, including teasing, peer modeling of weight and shape concerns, daughters' perceptions of parental influence to lose or control weight, appearance comparison, sensitivity, and body mass index, accounted for 50% of the variance in general body image dissatisfaction and 45% in weight and shape dissatisfaction. Implications for prevention, treatment, and future research are discussed.

Cross-cultural explanations of body image disturbance in Western cultural samples.

We replicated and extended the findings of S. M. Stormer and J. K. Thompson (1996), by comparing the relationships among body image disturbance (BID) and teasing history, age of pubertal onset, societal pressures to be thin, and appearance comparison, across three Western cultures. College females from the United States, Italy, and England completed several BID measures, as well as measures of the four predictors. Body mass levels and self-esteem, two known correlates of BID, were also examined. Data were analyzed using first standard, then hierarchical regression procedures. This investigation essentially found no cultural differences in the relationships among BID and its correlates for six of the seven criteria (BID) measures. Only one of the measures, the Figure Rating Scale (FRS), distinguished across groups. A lack of true cultural differences, or general similarities among university students, might explain these results. Nevertheless, these findings support the use of a Western cross-cultural research model.

Body Image and Televised Images of Thinness and Attractiveness: A Controlled Laboratory Investigation

Body Image and Televised Images of Thinness and Attractiveness: A Controlled Laboratory Investigation

The effects of figure size feedback (positive vs. negative) and target comparison group (particularistic vs. universalistic) on body image disturbance

The effect of negative versus positive informational feedback regarding body size on subjects' overall body dissatisfaction was assessed in female college students. The target of the appearance comparison was also manipulated–-subjects' figure size was in comparison to a universalistic group (average USA citizen) or a particularistic sample (college student peers). The results revealed a main effect for target comparison group, but no influence of information type (positive vs. negative). Specifically, subjects' whose size feedback was in reference to a particularistic group evidenced greater body image anxiety and distress than subjects whose figures were compared to a universalistic target. The findings are discussed in light of social comparison theory (Festinger, L. [1954]. Human Relations, 7, 117–140) and the possible role of feedback, target group, and comparison processes (i.e., upward and downward comparisons). © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

A Computerized Expert System for Tribological Failure Diagnosis

A micro-computer supported, rule-based expert system for failure diagnosis of tribo-components is described. Included is a brief review of AI tools and system organization methods used. The system, as implemented, encompasses: (a) observation of the machine or device containing the tribo-components; (b) identification of component failure modes by visual appearance comparison with photographic standards, and (c) reverse-engineering of the component selection for the application. Not implemented, but defined are: laboratory and advanced analytic diagnostic methods. The system consists of interactive screen-dialogs, augmented by engineering computation routines and followed by the generation of formatted diagnostic and corrective action reports.