Culture and body image: Body perception and weight concern in young Asian and Caucasian British women

The comparatively lower prevalence of eating disorders among Asian and Afro-Caribbean than Caucasian women in the UK has often been attributed to cultural differences in pressures for slimness. However, there have been no attempts to evaluate cultural differences in ideals for female physique directly among women in the at risk age groups. In the present study, cultural influences on body image were evaluated by comparing the body size ideals, body image and dieting concerns in a sample of 274 young white and Asian British women. The results indicate that Asian women are less likely to describe themselves as too fat, were less dissatisfied with their body size, less likely to want to lose weight and less restrained. However, Asian women were slimmer than white women and, after controlling for the difference in body size, the effects were reduced. The hypothesis that any body satisfaction differences could be explained by differences in ideal body size between the two groups were not supported; Asian women favoured even slimmer ideal body sizes than white women. Alternative explanations in terms of cultural differences in evaluation of fatness are discussed.     

The differential importance of weight and body image among college men and women

Among a sample of American college students, body image and the degree of desired weight change were associated with academic self-rankings, with social and psychological well-being, and with the development of eating difficulties. The effects of body image and desired weight change on eating disorders were generally found to be greater for women than for men, and their effects on student self-rankings of academic ability, social, and psychological traits were more pervasive for women than for men. The less attractive a woman perceived herself to be and the more weight she wanted to lose, the greater was her overall sense of academic, social, and psychological impairment. Women who had poor body images and who desired to lose weight were more likely to report eating difficulties.     

Holding fat stereotypes is associated with lower body dissatisfaction in normal weight Caucasian women who engage in body surveillance

This study examined the moderating effect of body surveillance on the relationship between fat stereotype endorsement and body dissatisfaction in normal weight women. Participants (N = 225) completed online measures of fat stereotyping, body surveillance, body dissatisfaction, and internalized thin ideals. After accounting for thin ideals, body surveillance moderated the relationship between fat stereotypes and body dissatisfaction. Contrary to hypotheses, higher fat stereotype endorsement predicted lower body dissatisfaction in women with higher body surveillance. Conversely, higher fat stereotype endorsement predicted greater body dissatisfaction in women with lower body surveillance. Thus, endorsing fat stereotypes appears protective against body dissatisfaction in normal weight women who extensively engage in body surveillance. For women who hold fat stereotypes and report high body surveillance, we propose that downward appearance comparison may create a contrast between themselves and the people with overweight whom they denigrate, thus improving body dissatisfaction.     

Frequency of eating problems among Asian and Caucasian college women.

We compared the frequencies of Asian and Caucasian women who were classified by their responses to the EAT-26 scale as having eating problems. We noted that relative to their Asian peers, our sample of Caucasian women was 5.5 times more likely to score above the cut-off score for eating problems on this test. Two earlier studies which had reported opposite results for Asian and Caucasian women were discussed and reevaluated in the context of our data.     

Counter-stereotypical impulsivity and violence among African American college men

The study examined the relationship between impulse control and violence in terms of past feelings and acts among African American males enrolled in Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Data were gathered from a sample of 1,874 male undergraduates in eleven colleges and universities with predominantly African-American students. Less than six percent were classified as impulsive, and even less than half of the impulsive males had past feelings and acts of violence. The study offers strategies for impulse control which may help to further minimize incidents of violence on the college campus.     

Counter-stereotypical impulsivity and violence among African American college men

The study examined the relationship between impulse control and violence in terms of past feelings and acts among African American males enrolled in Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Data were gathered from a sample of 1,874 male undergraduates in eleven colleges and universities with predominantly African-American students. Less than six percent were classified as impulsive, and even less than half of the impulsive males had past feelings and acts of violence. The study offers strategies for impulse control which may help to further minimize incidents of violence on the college campus.     

Body weight and body image among college women: perception, cognition, and affect

This study examined the relations between body weight and multiple parameters of body image in a nonclinical sample. Thirty-six female undergraduate students with stable body weights served as subjects; 12 were underweight, 12 were normal weight, and 12 were overweight, as determined using recent normative tables. Each subject responded to a general weight information questionnaire and to the Body-Self Relations Questionnaire, a standardized instrument assessing affective, cognitive, and behavioral components of appearance-related body image. A newly developed apparatus and procedure for estimating body size, the Body Image Detection Device, was utilized for perceptual and cognitive measures of body image. Each subject estimated and also subjectively appraised the width of her own body at five points and that of a realistic female mannequin. A caliper was used to record actual widths, and a standard laboratory scale and rule measured weight and height. The general finding of the study was that the perceptual, affective, and cognitive components of body image differed as a function of body weight, but the nature of the differences varied with the measure employed. The pattern of results for the perceptual measure suggest a cautious view of its reliability and validity. The multidimensional approach of our study, in marked contrast to earlier fractionated studies, offers a more integrated perspective on body image and provides new directions for future research.     

Stable vs unstable weight history, body-image, and weight concern in women of average body weight

The focus of this study was the effect of unstable weight history on current body-image among women. Participants were 45 college women of average weight (median age = 23 yr.); 15 had stable weight histories, 15 had past lowest weights 15% or more below current weight, and 15 had past highest weights 15% or more above current weight. The women were assessed on perceptual and attitudinal measures of body-image and a self-report measure of preoccupation with weight. In comparison to women with stable weight histories, those with unstable weight histories indicated greater dissatisfaction with the shape and size of their bodies, expressed more negative body attitudes, and reported increased concern about weight. Women with high weight histories overestimated their frontal body-size and expressed greater dissatisfaction with frontal size than women with low weight histories, but the two groups did not differ significantly on any of the other dependent measures. Possible explanations for increased body-image disturbance and weight concern among women with unstable weight histories are presented.     

African American students' ratings of Caucasian and African American counselors varying in racial consciousness

African American college students (63 female, 30 male) rated vignettes of counselors varying in racial consciousness (high vs. low) and race (African American vs. Caucasian). Participants then completed a counselor rating scale and the Racial Identity Attitude Scale (Short Form; T. A. Parham & J. E. Helms, 1981). African American counselors were rated more favorably than White counselors, and high racially conscious counselors were rated more favorably than low racially conscious counselors. The African American counselor with high racial consciousness was rated the most favorably. Several significant correlations were found between participants' racial identity attitudes and their ratings of counselors. Implications for the training of both African American and White counselors are considered.     

Explaining the relation between thin ideal internalization and body dissatisfaction among college women: the roles of social comparison and body surveillance

Sociocultural models of disordered eating lack comprehensive explanations as to how thin ideal internalization leads to body dissatisfaction. This study examined two social psychological theories as explanations of this relation, namely social comparison and objectification theories, in a sample of 265 women attending a Southeastern university. Social comparison (both general and appearance-related) and body surveillance (the indicator of objectification) were tested as mediators of the relation between thin ideal internalization and body dissatisfaction using bootstrapping analyses. Results indicated that body surveillance was a significant specific mediator of this relation; however, neither operationalization of social comparison emerged as such. Results serve to elaborate upon the sociocultural model of disordered eating by providing a more comprehensive understanding of the processes by which thin ideal internalization manifests itself in body dissatisfaction. The current findings also highlight the importance of targeting body surveillance in clinical settings.     

Substantive differences in the assertiveness of low-income African American, Hispanic, and Caucasian women

A sample of 115 low-income African American, Hispanic, and Caucasian women participated in 6 assertiveness role plays. A content analysis of their responses indicated that there are substantive differences in terms of what constitutes passive, assertive, and aggressive responses. The findings suggest that there are basic conceptual differences across the groups regarding connections and obligations to others. Differences in perceptions of assertiveness point to the culturally specific nature of assertiveness. Functionally, each group of women was able to stand up for themselves, yet boundaries between appropriate and inappropriate responding were placed somewhat differently across groups, depending on the situation.     

The relationships between body surveillance,body shame,and contextual body concern during sexual activities in ethnically diverse female college students

This study investigated the relationships between body surveillance, body shame, and contextual body image during sexual activity in American female college students of European, African, Asian, and Hispanic/Latina descent (N = 1174). Responses to self-report questionnaires indicated that body surveillance and body shame were significantly positively correlated with contextual body concern during sexual activities for women of all ethnic groups. Examination of direct and indirect effects using structural equation modeling indicated that body shame partially mediated the relationship between body surveillance and contextual body image during sexual activity for the sample as a whole. However, multiple-group analyses (i.e., path invariance tests) showed that some of these relationships differed by ethnic group, with European American women reporting the strongest relationships. Study results generally support the mediational role of body shame, but highlight that the strength of these relationships and means may differ across ethnic groups.     

Perceptions of female body weight and shape among indigenous and urban Europeans

Two important cues to female physical attractiveness are body mass index (BMI) and body shape as measured by the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). This study examined the relative contribution of both cues in three culturally distinct populations. A total of 119 Finnish, Sámi and British male observers rated a set of un-edited photographs of women with known BMI and WHR. The results showed that there were significant differences in preferences for physical attractiveness, with the indigenous Sámi preferring figures with larger BMIs and more tolerant of heavyweight figures than either Finnish participants in Helsinki or Britons in London, who were indistinguishable in their preferences for slim figures. The findings are discussed in terms of evolutionary psychological explanations of mate selection, and sociocultural theories which emphasizes the learning of preferences for body sizes in social and cultural contexts.     

Examining an elaborated sociocultural model of disordered eating among college women: The roles of social comparison and body surveillance

Social comparison (i.e., body, eating, exercise) and body surveillance were tested as mediators of the thin-ideal internalization-body dissatisfaction relationship in the context of an elaborated sociocultural model of disordered eating. Participants were 219 college women who completed two questionnaire sessions 3 months apart. The cross-sectional elaborated sociocultural model (i.e., including social comparison and body surveillance as mediators of the thin-ideal internalization-body dissatisfaction relation) provided a good fit to the data, and the total indirect effect from thin-ideal internalization to body dissatisfaction through the mediators was significant. Social comparison emerged as a significant specific mediator while body surveillance did not. The mediation model did not hold prospectively; however, social comparison accounted for unique variance in body dissatisfaction and disordered eating 3 months later. Results suggest that thin-ideal internalization may not be “automatically” associated with body dissatisfaction and that it may be especially important to target comparison in prevention and intervention efforts.     

Self-rated competence, current weight, and body-image among college women

125 female undergraduates (M age = 19.7 yr.) self-rated their academic, social, and psychological competence and were assessed with respect to current weight, weight concern, and body attitudes. Self-rated academic, social, and psychological competence were not related to current weight; however, less positive self-evaluations of social competence were related to weight concern, negative appraisals of appearance, and dissatisfaction with body parts. Subjective ratings of academic and psychological competence were not significantly associated with any of these variables.     

Psychological functioning,media pressure and body dissatisfaction among college women

The aim of this study was to explore the moderating effect of a number of psychological variables on the relationship between media pressure and body dissatisfaction. A total of 200 young women completed questionnaires assessing body dissatisfaction, perceived media pressure, self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and social phobia. Media pressure, anxiety and self-esteem revealed direct effects in the prediction of body dissatisfaction. However, when the interaction terms were examined, only the interaction between social phobia and media pressure was a significant predictor of body dissatisfaction. The findings of the study reveal the importance of psychological functioning regarding vulnerability to the effects of media pressure.     

Developmental patterns of African American and Caucasian adolescents' alcohol use

This study examined the developmental alcohol use trajectories of Caucasian and African American adolescents. Participants were 1,358 adolescents (77.6% Caucasian). Results suggest that not only do patterns of alcohol use differ for Caucasian and African American adolescents, but that there is substantial within group variation as well. Results suggest that using a within-groups developmental approach is one promising way to identify subgroups of adolescents at greatest risk for substance use.