Taryn A. Myers

Social Comparison as a Predictor of Body Dissatisfaction: A Meta-Analytic Review

The relationship between social comparison and body dissatisfaction was examined using meta-analysis. Several demographic and methodological variables were examined as potential moderators. Data from 156 studies (189 effect sizes) showed that social comparison was related to higher levels of body dissatisfaction. The effect for social comparison and body dissatisfaction was stronger for women than men and inversely related to age. This effect was stronger when social comparison was directly measured rather than inferred. No differences emerged for the presence of eating psychopathology, study design, or object of comparison. Results confirm theory and research suggesting that comparing oneself unfavorably to another on the basis of appearance may lead to dissatisfaction with ones own appearance. Moderator variables refine our understanding of the social comparison-body dissatisfaction relationship. These constructs and their relationship should be explored further in future studies.

The impact of appearance-focused social comparisons on body image disturbance in the naturalistic environment: The roles of thin-ideal internalization and feminist beliefs

Drawing on Festingers (1954) social comparison theory and its modern applications, this research investigated the relationship between upward appearance-focused social comparisons and body image disturbance using ecological momentary assessment, which allows for examination of these phenomena in their natural context. Participants were 91 undergraduate women who answered questionnaires five times per day for five days using Palm Personal Data Assistant (PDA) devices. Analyses were conducted using hierarchical linear modeling, which allows for examination of longitudinal data both within and across participants. Results revealed a positive relationship between upward appearance-focused social comparisons and body image disturbance. Upward appearance-focused social comparisons were associated with greater body image disturbance for those with higher levels of thin-ideal internalization and with greater body checking for women with lower levels of feminist beliefs. These findings further illuminate the nature of the relationship between social comparisons and body image disturbance.

IS SELF‐OBJECTIFICATION RELATED TO INTEROCEPTIVE AWARENESS? AN EXAMINATION OF POTENTIAL MEDIATING PATHWAYS TO DISORDERED EATING ATTITUDES

Although there has been considerable empirical support for Objectification Theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997), findings have been mixed regarding self-objectifications relationship to interoceptive awareness, an awareness of ones internal physical and emotional states. We examined whether interoceptive awareness mediated the relationship between self-objectification and disordered eating attitudes, exploring more specifically the relative contributions of difficulties recognizing feelings of hunger and satiety versus emotions. College women (N = 195) completed measures assessing self-objectification, interoceptive awareness, awareness of emotions, and disordered eating attitudes. Self-objectification correlated significantly more strongly with interoceptive awareness when internal cues about hunger and satiety were assessed. The relationship between self-objectification and disordered eating attitudes was partially mediated by interoceptive awareness. Results revealed that interoceptive awareness may best be captured by a measure that includes lack of awareness of both hunger and satiety and emotional states. Research and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

Sexualizing the Self What College Women and Men Think About and Do to Be “Sexy”

Self-sexualization refers to intentionally engaging in activities expressly to appear more sexually appealing. The purpose of our studies was to examine gender similarities and differences in how women and men conceptualize self-sexualization as well as introduce measures appropriate for large-scale data collection. In a qualitative study, we first established the existence of self-sexualization among women, although we were unable to document a similar construct among men. The Self-Sexualization Behavior Questionnaire for Women (SSBQ–W), developed over the course of three studies using samples from two small liberal arts colleges, demonstrated adequate internal consistency, stability, and construct validity. Discriminant validity for the SSBQ–W was demonstrated with the Surveillance subscale of the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale, the Sexualizing Behavior Scale, and the Enjoyment of Sexualization Scale. The SSBQ–W may especially be useful in addressing debates about the relationship of self-sexualization to sexual empowerment, agency, and oppression in young women. Additionally, our attempts to develop a parallel sound measure for men failed, and gender differences in item-by-item comparisons concluded that men are less likely to engage in specific self-sexualizing behaviors than women. These findings raise the possibility that self-sexualization is neither as meaningful nor as pervasive for men. In sum, our findings help to further refine how researchers and practitioners might best conceptualize self-sexualization, concluding that it is highly gendered activity that is largely confined to women and offering a measure for women that may promote further research.

Aβ40 is associated with cognitive function, body fat and physical fitness in healthy older adults

Abstract Primary objectives: Body composition and obesity-related lifestyle factors are associated with increased risk for Alzheimers disease (AD). Amyloid beta (Aβ) is a peptide integral in the pathogenesis of AD. Aβ has been shown to be related to body fat and exercise in younger adults; however, no study to date has examined the possible relationship among Aβ, body composition and fitness indices in older adults. Methods and procedures: Thirty-five older adults without significant neurological or psychiatric history, underwent fasting blood draw and completed cognitive testing and body composition and physical fitness assessments. Results: Partial correlations showed Aβ levels were inversely related to cognitive function, body fat and physical fitness measures. Conclusions: Findings indicate Aβ is associated with cognitive function, body fat and physical fitness in neurologically healthy older adults. Further work is needed to clarify possible mechanisms, particularly longitudinal studies.

Reaction Times to Appearance-Related or Non-appearance-Related Word Choice Among Women With and Without Eating Psychopathology

Activation of schemas related to one’s appearance has been studied extensively using implicit tasks such as the word stem completion task and the Stoop paradigm. The current study utilized a word stem completion task adapted for presentation on a Personal Data Assistant to examine differences in reaction times to appearance- and non-appearance-related words. Participants were 93 undergraduate women, 30 of whom met criteria for eating psychopathology utilizing the diagnostic algorithm for the Eating Disorder Diagnostic Scale (Stice et al. in Psychol Assess 12:123–131. doi:10.1037/1040-3590.12.2.123, 2000). The remaining 63 participants served as a comparison group. A significant interaction effect indicated that women with eating pathology exhibited significantly longer reaction times when selecting the appearance-related words than those without eating psychopathology. This research introduces a novel method of measuring reaction time to appearance- and non-appearance-related words and demonstrates the relevance of appearance schematicity in the naturalistic environment by showing that these schemas have the potential to impact the way young women process schema-relevant information on a day-to-day basis.

Evaluating the real-world predictive validity of the Body Image Quality of Life Inventory using Ecological Momentary Assessment

Perceptions of physical appearance, or body image, can affect psychosocial functioning and quality of life (QOL). The present study evaluated the real-world predictive validity of the Body Image Quality of Life Inventory (BIQLI) using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA). College women reporting subclinical disordered eating/body dissatisfaction (N=131) completed the BIQLI and related measures. For one week they then completed five daily EMA surveys of mood, social interactions, stress, and eating behaviors on palmtop computers. Results showed better body image QOL was associated with less negative affect, less overwhelming emotions, more positive affect, more pleasant social interactions, and higher self-efficacy for handling stress. Lower body image QOL was marginally related to less overeating and lower loss of control over eating in daily life. To our knowledge, this is the first study to support the real-world predictive validity of the BIQLI by identifying social, affective, and behavioral correlates in everyday life using EMA.

Book Review: Becoming women: The embodied self in image culture

might be better framed to understand gender in context. For example, Ittel, Azmitia, Pfetsch, and Muller (‘‘Teasing, Threats, and Texts’’) investigate empathy and cyberbullying. They compare boys’ and girls’ media usage and cyberbullying behaviors, but there is little about gender in context because they find more overall similarity than difference between boys and girls. Although the research in the book may not always fit the theme of gender in context, its approachability and readability are even more potentially limiting. Gender and Development is not well geared toward undergraduates, graduate students, or even early career professors and thus limits its likely impact on future researchers. Readers need a sophisticated understanding of developmental psychology and its methods to comprehend the studies presented. Additionally, those well versed in developmental psychology and gender are likely already familiar with the research presented here and they may be frustrated by the need for more coherence across the chapters. Gender and Development attempts to show how children ‘‘operate as gendered social actors’’ (p. xx), but could do more to reach that goal. A thorough understanding of gender in context is sorely needed because, as the editors note, ‘‘gender continues to define behaviors and shape opportunities available to boys and girls in restricting and unfair ways’’ (p. xxi). Indeed, the most important contribution of Gender and Development may be highlighting why more gender-incontext work is needed in developmental psychology.

Book Review: Body Image: A Handbook of Science, Practice, and Prevention (2nd ed.)

tioners may find this text unwieldy. Furthermore, the book adopts a homogenous approach to eating disorder treatment; there is little attention to how diversity issues of race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, social class, age, and gender impact treatment. This inattention to diversity is surprising when one considers the abundance of literature addressing these issues from etiological and clinical treatment perspectives. Although it is understandable that the editors sought to streamline the chapters by emphasizing effective treatment, it is a reality that some modalities may work better than others for certain client groups. Consideration of diversity issues, however brief, within each chapter or within a chapter that exclusively addresses diversity issues would have strengthened this text. This consideration would give weight to the argument that eating disorders are complex, and as such, tailoring treatment to specific client factors may enhance the effectiveness of treatments (but not necessarily their efficacy). Whereas the book supplies much description of effective treatments for body image and eating and weight disorders, it pays little attention to valuing feminist practice or representing the voices of women with eating disorders. While clinical examples are provided, there are too few and they are too short to shed much light on the lived experiences of women with eating disorders. Those readers with an interest in the treatment of eating disorders from a feminist perspective or in women’s personal accounts will have to refer to other texts (e.g., Fallon, Katzman, & Wooley, 1996). Overall, The Treatment of Eating Disorders: A Clinical Handbook represents an excellent step toward increasing our understanding of effective treatment, advancing our knowledge of best practices, and stimulating our interest in conducting treatment research. Clearly, editors Grilo and Mitchell accomplish these goals for this book.