Final Exam - Chapter 9 - Body Image and Exercise Flashcards
- Describe healthy body image vs. body disturbance in terms of 4 dimensions - Explain gender similarities and difference in body image disturbance - Cite factors that influence body image and outcomes that body image affects
Body Image
How we see our own body.
What are the four dimensions of body image?
Perceptual
Cognitive
Affective
Behavioral
Perceptual Dimension
The picture of our own body that we form in our mind.
How we see our bodies when we look in the mirror and how we imagine ourselves to look.
Can you accurately define your body image?
Example: They can pick out their correct size in clothes
Cognitive Dimension
How we think about and evaluate our body in terms of both its appearance and function.
How attractive we think we are
How strong we think we are
How fit we think we are
Example: “I think I am so big”
Affective
or
Emotional Dimension
How you feel about our image
Reflects the feelings experienced in relation to the body’s appearance and function.
Feelings can be positive or negative
Behavioral Dimension
How we act differently based on out body image
represents the things we do that reflect our positive or negative perceptions, thought, and feelings, about our bodies
Example: clothing we wear and the activities that we engage in
What is the key concept of the dimensions?
Some people are able to be accurate in some areas.
Healthy Body Image
Positive self evaluation along with the 4 dimensions
They have accurate perceptions about their body shape and size, have thoughts and feelings about their body that are predominately positive and behave in ways that reflect these positive evaluations.
Body Image Disturbance
Negative self evaluation along with the 4 dimensions
Perception of one’s body shape and size differ from one’s actual shape and size.
Cognitive and affective dimensions, negative thoughts and feelings about one’s body are indicative of disturbance.
Behavioral dimension, actions performed to hide or change the body’s appearance without regards for health implications
Body Reality
physical characteristics: height, weight, body fat, lean body mass, bone structure, fitness, strength, disease, etc.
Body Ideal
How we think our body should look and function
Positive Healthy Image
Body reality and body ideal are similar
Gender Differences
Previously believed that women have greater body dissatisfaction than men
Why? Measured by the desire to lose weight
Assumptions:
women only want to lose weight
wanting to lose weight = body dissatisfaction
Explain the Body Image Disturbance bar graph
both genders have increased over time.
Explain Gender Differences Line Graph
Women: as BMI increases dissatisfaction increases
Men: BMI 25 they are happy, if they are under or over they are dissatisfied