Sexuality and body image: What link?

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 1674-1674
Author(s):  
L. Mnif ◽  
J. Masmoudi ◽  
I. Feki ◽  
N. Charfi ◽  
I. Bâati ◽  
...  

IntroductionResarches on body image suggest a link with sexuality.The objective of our study was to investigate Tunisian women's perceptions of their bodies and its involvement on sexuality.Methods and patientsA total of 100 Tunisian women were interviewed using a self-administered questionnaire which explores: -Clinical data: weight, height, hormonal status-The perception of women to their bodies and their husband's perception.-The impact of body image on sexual activityResultsWomen's body image was positive in most cases: The body is seen as female in 94% of cases, young in 76% of cases, physically attractive in 66% and erotic in 51% of cases.Eighty five percent of women were satisfied with their sexual activity. These women report having an erotic body (p = 0.009) and source of self-confidence (p = 0.002).Half of women said that their body image allowed them to take the initiative in sexual activity and to have a satisfying desire (p = 0.003).A positive perception of the spouse of a woman's body influenced significantly the sexual behavior of women: more interest to intimate moments (p = 0.001), ability to initiate sexual activity (p = 0.014) and sexual satisfaction (p = 0.018).ConclusionOur study shows the positive role of an adequate perception of body image of women by herself and her spouse about sexuality, through its influence on self-esteem and confidence. It would be interesting to consider these dimensions in any treatment of sexual disorders.

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Duschek ◽  
Natalie S. Werner ◽  
Gustavo A. Reyes del Paso ◽  
Rainer Schandry

Experience of one’s own body relies on signals arising within the body as well as on exteroceptive information, and on appraisal of cognitive and affective aspects of these signals. The present study investigated the impact of sensitivity to internal signals, that is, interoceptive awareness, on interindividual differences in cognitive and emotional aspects of body experience. Subjects with accurate (n = 30) versus poor (n = 30) interoceptive awareness, classified via a heartbeat perception task, completed the Body Consciousness Questionnaire and the Body Appraisal Inventory. Possible effects of emotional state on body experience were controlled for using measures of mood and anxiety. While the groups did not differ in their emotional state, individuals with accurate cardiac interoceptive awareness exhibited higher subjective sensitivity to bodily sensations and a more positive body image, characterized by stronger body-related self-confidence, greater satisfaction with physical appearance, greater perceived bodily self-control, as well as reduced hypochondriacal concerns, sexual discontent, and shame. The present findings extend earlier research on the importance of perception of physical cues for emotion, cognition, and behavior regulation. Our results underline the contribution of interoceptive information to body experience, where interindividual differences in the accessibility of such information modulate cognitive and affective facets of body image.


Author(s):  
Bhawini Vasudeva

The aim to conduct this research is to enlighten the impact of body image dissatisfaction on an individual’s self-esteem and to examine whether there is a gender difference in this case or not. There are a total of 220 numbers of participants, with equal number of males and females in the sample set. The tool that’d be using here is a modified short version of the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) by Cooper et. Al. in the year in 1987 and The Rosenberg self-esteem scale by Morris Rosenberg (RSES) in the year 1965. The current research proved that whenever there’ll be higher body image dissatisfaction, it’ll result in less self-esteem. Other than that, it stated that females (M= 22.69 and SD= 3.64) have a higher mean score in body image dissatisfaction than and males (M=23.28 and SD= 3.6), therefore, the men have a higher mean score of self-esteem than females.


2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 484-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamal H. Essayli ◽  
Jessica M. Murakami ◽  
Rebecca E. Wilson ◽  
Janet D. Latner

Purpose: To explore the psychological impact of weight labels. Design: A double-blind experiment that randomly informed participants that they were “normal weight” or “overweight.” Setting: Public university in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Participants: Normal-weight and overweight female undergraduates (N = 113). Measures: The Body Image States Scale, Stunkard Rating Scale, Weight Bias Internalization Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, General Health question from the 12-item Short Form Health Survey, modified version of the Weight Loss Methods Scale, and a manipulation check. Analysis: A 2 × 2 between-subjects analysis of variance explored the main effects of the assigned weight label and actual weight and interactions between assigned weight label and actual weight. Results: Significant main effects of the assigned weight label emerged on measures of body dissatisfaction, F(1, 109) = 12.40, p = .001, [Formula: see text] = 0.10, internalized weight stigma, F(1, 108) = 4.35, p = .039, [Formula: see text] = .04, and negative affect, F(1, 108) = 9.22, p = .003, [Formula: see text] = .08. Significant assigned weight label × actual weight interactions were found on measures of perceived body image, F(1, 109) = 6.29, p = .014, [Formula: see text] = .06, and perceived health, F(1, 109) = 4.18, p = .043, [Formula: see text] = .04. Conclusion: A weight label of “overweight” may have negative psychological consequences, particularly for overweight women.


2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 1546-1564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Cohen ◽  
Jasmine Fardouly ◽  
Toby Newton-John ◽  
Amy Slater

Body-positive content on social media aims to challenge mainstream beauty ideals and encourage acceptance and appreciation of all body types. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of viewing body-positive Instagram posts on young women’s mood and body image. Participants were 195 young women (18–30 years old) who were randomly allocated to view either body-positive, thin-ideal, or appearance-neutral Instagram posts. Results showed that brief exposure to body positive posts was associated with improvements in young women’s positive mood, body satisfaction and body appreciation, relative to thin-ideal and appearance-neutral posts. In addition, both thin-ideal and body-positive posts were associated with increased self-objectification relative to appearance-neutral posts. Finally, participants showed favourable attitudes towards the body positive accounts with the majority being willing to follow them in the future. It was concluded that body-positive content may offer a fruitful avenue for improving young women’s body image, although further research is necessary to fully understand the effects on self-objectification.


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