Lecture 14 - Body Image

Question 1

body image disorder

Answer 1

refers to a situation where BI concern are persistent and results in sone degree of impairment in social relations, social activities, or occupational functions

Question 2

list all dimensions of body image

Answer 2

• Perceptual Dimension
• Affective Dimension
  ~~~~~~~Go hand in hand~~~~~~~~
• Cognitive Dimension
• Subjective Dimension
• Behavioural Dimension

Question 3

Perceptual dimension of BI

Answer 3

perceptual dimension captures how the body is pictured in one mind
- how ppl see themselves when they look in a mirror and how they imagine their bodies to look

Question 4

affective dimension of BI

Answer 4

reflects the feelings about the body’s appearance and function
- feeling may be positive

Question 5

cognitive dimension of BI

Answer 5

refers to attitudes, thoughts, and beliefs about one’s body

Question 6

Subjective dimension of BI

Answer 6

refers to the subjective satisfaction of the individuals body
- whole body or some parts
- more of an assessment

Question 7

behavioural dimension of BI

Answer 7

captures behavioural representation of BI
- how one dresses with regard to certain sports
- dieting

Question 8

BI Stats

Answer 8

• substantial amounts of men and women have negative body image
• negative BI has typically defined as dissatisfaction with ones physical appearance
• a US Study reveals that 43% of men and 56% of women are dissatisfied with their overall appearance

Question 9

relate BI to self esteem

Answer 9

poor BI has been linked to SE and is believed to be a cause of anxiety, depression, and the development of an eating disorder

Question 10

relate BI and SPA

Answer 10

body dissatisfaction can manifest in the form of social physique anxiety (SPA) which is the anxiety that ppl experience in response to others reaction, or imagined evaluations of their body
- those who experience SPA have more stress and discomfort during physical evaluations and experience more negative thoughts regarding their physical appearance

Question 11

exercise as an intervention

Answer 11

• exercise has a positive effect on body image, decreases SPA
• in general, ppl with the poorest body image reap the largest benefit from exercise intervention
• improvement variables such as fitness, physical self perception and self efficacy can be quite juristic for out of shape
• ppl with high levels of SPA are much more likely to exercise in private
• ppl who are high in SPA are more likely to be physically active due to BI reasons

Question 12

how can the composition of a workout class impact SPA

Answer 12

• being a member of a likeminded group can help SPA
• people will have less SPA if they believe that ppl in their group are of a similar disposition

Question 13

general trends with females and BI

Answer 13

• women are generally less satisfied with their bodies than men
• report greater SPA, and engage in more body focussed behaviours than men
• these finding have lead to the generally accepted conclusion that womens have worse body image then men
• however, this assumption is now being challenged because it is largely based on studies that focus on one type of BU concern (i.e. weight, BMI)

Question 14

male vs female body dissatisfaction

Answer 14

female body dissatisfaction typically stems from concerns about being “over weight” and male concern being too fat, too thin, not muscular enough

Question 15

BI and Gender studies

Answer 15

• few exercise training studies have included both M and F participants and examine subsequent gender differences in BI
• one possible explanation for the conflicting results is that sex moderates the effectiveness of different types of exercise interventions. That is, the effectiveness of a particular regiment my depend of whether it brings ppl closer to the ideal body type for their sex

Question 16

BI and age

Answer 16

• larger exercise related improvements in BI for younger adults than older adults
• inconsistent findings for older adults could reflect individual differences in ppls responses to the aging process
• some ppl become increasingly dissatisfied with their bodies as they age and their body becomes further from cultural ideals; these individuals likely have the most to gain from an exercise intervention
• for others, the aging process may bring a more relaxed and accepting opinion of their appearance
• another possibility is that age moderates the effects of different types of exercise
• there is evidence to suggest that with age, adults begin to place greater value on physical functioning over physical appearance

Question 17

BI and cultural differences

Answer 17

body related values an norms differ by culture
- i.e. caucasian women report a greater body dissatisfaction than black, Asian and hispanic women