scholarly journals How malleable are attentional biases in women with body dissatisfaction? Priming effects and their impact on attention to images of women’s bodies

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 204380871983713
Author(s):  
Samantha Withnell ◽  
Christopher R. Sears ◽  
Kristin M. von Ranson

Understanding attentional biases associated with body dissatisfaction can aid in devising and refining programs to reduce body dissatisfaction. This study compared attention to images of women’s bodies before and after a body satisfaction or body dissatisfaction priming task. Attention was assessed using eye-gaze tracking, by measuring participants’ fixations to images of “thin” models, “fat” models, and images of average women over an 8-s presentation. Women with high ( n = 65) and low ( n = 43) levels of trait body dissatisfaction, as measured by the Body Shape Questionnaire, were randomly assigned to a body satisfaction or body dissatisfaction priming task. Results indicated that both priming tasks were effective at modifying participants’ state body satisfaction. Women with high body dissatisfaction exhibited an attentional bias to thin and fat model images prior to the priming procedure, replicating previous findings. Contrary to predictions, body dissatisfaction priming increased attention to body images for women with both high and low body dissatisfaction, whereas body satisfaction priming had no effect on attention for either group. These findings show that women with high and low body dissatisfaction are vulnerable to the effects of body dissatisfaction priming.

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e10341
Author(s):  
Heini Törnqvist ◽  
Sanni Somppi ◽  
Miiamaaria V. Kujala ◽  
Outi Vainio

Background This study examines how dogs observe images of natural scenes containing living creatures (wild animals, dogs and humans) recorded with eye gaze tracking. Because dogs have had limited exposure to wild animals in their lives, we also consider the natural novelty of the wild animal images for the dogs. Methods The eye gaze of dogs was recorded while they viewed natural images containing dogs, humans, and wild animals. Three categories of images were used: naturalistic landscape images containing single humans or animals, full body images containing a single human or an animal, and full body images containing a pair of humans or animals. The gazing behavior of two dog populations, family and kennel dogs, were compared. Results As a main effect, dogs gazed at living creatures (object areas) longer than the background areas of the images; heads longer than bodies; heads longer than background areas; and bodies longer than background areas. Dogs gazed less at the object areas vs. the background in landscape images than in the other image categories. Both dog groups also gazed wild animal heads longer than human or dog heads in the images. When viewing single animal and human images, family dogs focused their gaze very prominently on the head areas, but in images containing a pair of animals or humans, they gazed more at the body than the head areas. In kennel dogs, the difference in gazing times of the head and body areas within single or paired images failed to reach significance. Discussion Dogs focused their gaze on living creatures in all image categories, also detecting them in the natural landscape images. Generally, they also gazed at the biologically informative areas of the images, such as the head, which supports the importance of the head/face area for dogs in obtaining social information. The natural novelty of the species represented in the images as well as the image category affected the gazing behavior of dogs. Furthermore, differences in the gazing strategy between family and kennel dogs was obtained, suggesting an influence of different social living environments and life experiences.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 204380871983893 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leah N. Tobin ◽  
Amy H. Barron ◽  
Christopher R. Sears ◽  
Kristin M. von Ranson

Attentional biases for weight-related information are thought to contribute to maintenance of body dissatisfaction and eating disorders. Women with greater body appreciation may pay less attention to thin-ideal cues if body appreciation protects them from negative effects of thin-ideal media, and if so, they may be less susceptible to development of maladaptive attentional biases. The present study used eye-gaze tracking to measure attention to weight-related words/images in 167 body-dissatisfied undergraduate women (aged 17–39 years) to examine the associations among body dissatisfaction, body appreciation, and attentional biases. Participants viewed displays of thin-related, fat-related, and neutral words/images while their eye fixations were tracked over 8-s intervals. We hypothesized body appreciation (as measured by the Body Appreciation Scale) would moderate the documented association between body dissatisfaction and attentional biases for thin-related information only, such that as body appreciation increased, the strength of the relationship between body dissatisfaction and attentional biases would decrease. Results indicated that body appreciation moderated the association between body dissatisfaction and attentional biases for thin-related words only. With low body appreciation, body dissatisfaction was positively associated with attention to thin-related words. With high body appreciation, there was an inverse association between body dissatisfaction and attention to thin-related words. Results suggest that body appreciation may be an effective prevention target for reducing maladaptive attentional biases.


Retos ◽  
2016 ◽  
pp. 189-192
Author(s):  
Armando Cocca ◽  
José René Blanco Ornelas ◽  
Jesús Enrique Peinado Pérez ◽  
Jesús Viciana Ramírez

The purpose of the present study was to compare the perception of current (CBI), ideal (IBI), social body images (SBI), and body dissatisfaction (BD) by gender in Mexican primary and secondary school students. A total sample of 1,146 participants (550 girls and 596 boys) aged 11-16 participated in the study. All participants completed the Mexican computerized adaptation of the Contour Drawing Rating Scale. Results of one-way multivariate analysis of variance, followed by one-way univariate analyses of variance, showed that girls (ABI = 4.26; IBI = 3.53; SBI = 4.28; BD = 0.89) expressed a greater discrepancy between ideal and actual body shape, as well as lower scores of ideal body shape than boys (ABI = 4.28; IBI = 3.93; SBI = 4.31; BD = 0.61). However, no statistical differences were found between boys and girls in actual and social body shape. Although current and social body images are perceived in a similar way by adolescents in our sample regardless of gender, yet girls seem to be more responsive to social and environmental pressures related with body stereotype, this being reflected by a higher dissatisfaction and a thinner idealization of the body. Our findings suggest that we need to focus our attention on girls, especially in a phase of changes such as puberty, if we aim to design any intervention that could positively impact youth’s health through a proper body image.Resumen. El propósito de este estudio fue de comparar por género la percepción de la imagen corporal actual (CBI), ideal (IBI) y social (SBI), así como el descontento con el propio cuerpo (BD), en una muestra de estudiantes mexicanos de escuelas primarias y secundarias. Se seleccionó una muestra de 1.146 participantes (550 niñas y 596 niños) de entre 11 y 16 años de edad, que completaron la adaptación mexicana de la Contour Drawing Rating Scale. Los resultados de los análisis multivariados y univariados demuestran que las niñas (ABI = 4.26; IBI = 3.53; SBI = 4.28; BD = 0.89) sufren un mayor descontento corporal que los niños (ABI = 4.28; IBI = 3.93; SBI = 4.31; BD = 0.61), así como consideran que el cuerpo ideal sea mucho más delgado. No se encontraron diferencias significativas entre niños y niñas en la imagen corporal real y social. Aunque los adolescentes perciban de una manera similar su cuerpo independientemente del género, las niñas son más receptivas en lo que refiere a las presiones sociales del estereotipo corporal, reflejándose esto en un mayor descontento y en un ideal excesivamente magro de su cuerpo. Nuestros resultados sugieren la necesidad de enfocar la atención en las niñas, especialmente durante la pubertad, de cara a implementar intervenciones apropiadas que tengan un impacto real sobre la salud de los jóvenes a través de la construcción de una apropiada imagen corporal.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Regine Zopf ◽  
Veronika Kosourikhina ◽  
Kevin R. Brooks ◽  
Vince Polito ◽  
Ian Stephen

Estimating the size of bodies is crucial for interactions with physical and social environments. Body size perception is malleable and can be altered using visual adaptation paradigms. However, it is unclear whether such visual adaptation effects also transfer to other modalities and influence, for example, the perception of tactile distances. In this study we employed a visual adaptation paradigm. Participants were exposed to images of expanded or contracted versions of self- or other-identity bodies. Before and after this adaptation they were asked to manipulate the width of body images to appear as “normal” as possible. We replicated an effect of visual adaptation, such that the body size selected as most “normal” was larger after exposure to expanded and thinner after exposure to contracted adaptation stimuli. In contrast, we did not find evidence that this adaptation effect transfers to distance estimates for paired tactile stimuli delivered to the abdomen. A Bayesian analysis showed that our data provide moderate evidence that there is no effect of visual body size adaptation on the estimation of spatial parameters in a tactile task. This suggests that visual body size adaptation effects do not transfer to somatosensory body size representations.


Author(s):  
Juan Gregorio Fernández-Bustos ◽  
Álvaro Infantes-Paniagua ◽  
Irene Gonzalez-Martí ◽  
Onofre Ricardo Contreras-Jordán

The aim of this study was to assess the differences in body dissatisfaction (BD) of male and female adolescents by body max index (BMI) and the quantity, type and organisation of physical activity (PA). To do so, 652 adolescents aged 12–17 years participated in a cross-sectional study. The cognitive-affective component of BD was assessed with the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) and the perceptual component with Gardner’s scale for the assessment of, body image (BI). PA was measured with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF) and the item 1 from the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A). The results show that sex and BMI are key variables when determining BD. Moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) was moderately associated with a greater body satisfaction in males but no association was found between BD and the participation and organisation of PA. Moreover, the results suggest that participants in aesthetic/lean PA are at a higher risk of suffering from BD than participants in other PA types. These findings provide useful information for the design of programmes promoting healthy lifestyles, weight control and BI concern during the school period.


2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 312
Author(s):  
Régis Jhonatan Morais Gonçalves ◽  
Ramon Azevedo Silva Castro ◽  
Vinícius Silva Belo ◽  
Luana Santos Vital Alves Coelho ◽  
Erika Barbosa Lagares ◽  
...  

RESUMOObjetivo: avaliar o efeito de ação de educação em saúde, conduzida pelo Facebook, na prevalência de sobrepeso/obesidade e na satisfação corporal de adolescentes, bem como a relação de concordância entre estas medidas e as diferenças em adolescentes. Método: estudo quantitativo, ensaio não controlado, em que 69 adolescentes de ambos os sexos, dos 13 aos 19 anos, foram avaliados em 4 meses quanto ao estado nutricional e percepção corporal, antes e depois de intervenção de educação em saúde sobre nutrição. Resultados: 20,8% estavam com excesso de peso, 20,3% se percebiam com excesso de peso e 36,2% apresentavam insatisfação corporal. Houve maior prevalência de insatisfação corporal entre adolescentes do sexo feminino com sobrepeso/obesidade. Conclusão: não se evidenciou impacto estatisticamente significativo da estratégia de educação em saúde executada na prevalência de sobrepeso/obesidade e na satisfação com a imagem corporal. Discutem-se os fatores associados com o baixo impacto da intervenção e a importância de estudos dessa natureza, visto que a obesidade é multideterminada, o que implica a necessidade de que abordagens utilizadas para a prevenção e o controle desse agravo sejam avaliadas quanto a seus sucessos e insucessos para que sejam aprimoradas em estudos futuros. Descritores: Adolescente; Antropometria; Imagem corporal; Rede social; Educação em saúde; Obesidade.ABSTRACT Objective: to evaluate the effect of a health education action, conducted by Facebook, on the prevalence of overweight/obesity and adolescent body satisfaction, as well as the relationship between these measures and differences among adolescents. Method: quantitative study, uncontrolled trial, in which 69 adolescents of both sexes, from 13 to 19 years old, were evaluated in four months regarding nutritional status and body perception, before and after health education intervention on nutrition. Results: 20.8% were overweight, 20.3% perceived as overweight and 36.2% presented body dissatisfaction. There was a higher prevalence of body dissatisfaction among overweight / obese female adolescents. Conclusion: there was no statistically significant impact of the health education strategy, implemented in the prevalence of overweight/obesity and satisfaction with body image. The factors associated with the low impact of the intervention and the importance of studies of this nature were discussed, since obesity is multidetermined, which implies that the approaches used for the prevention and control of this condition should be evaluated for their successes and failures to be improved in future studies. Descriptors: Adolescent; Anthropometry; Body Image; Social Networking; Health Education; Obesity.RESUMEN Objetivo: evaluar el efecto de acción de educación en salud conducida por el Facebook en la prevalencia de sobrepeso / obesidad y en la satisfacción corporal de adolescentes, así como la relación de concordancia entre estas medidas y las diferencias en adolescentes. Método: el estudio cuantitativo, ensayo no controlado, en el que 69 adolescentes de ambos sexos, de 13 a 19 años, fueron evaluados en 4 meses en cuanto al estado nutricional y percepción corporal, antes y después de intervención de educación en salud sobre nutrición. Resultados: 20,8% estaban con exceso de peso, el 20,3% se percibía con exceso de peso y el 36,2% presentaba insatisfacción corporal. Hubo mayor prevalencia de insatisfacción corporal entre adolescentes con sobrepeso / obesidad. Conclusión: no se evidenció impacto estadísticamente significativo de la estrategia de educación en salud ejecutada en la prevalencia de sobrepeso / obesidad y en la satisfacción con la imagen corporal. Se discuten los factores asociados con el bajo impacto de la intervención y la importancia de estudios de esa naturaleza, ya que la obesidad es multideterminada, lo que implica la necesidad de que enfoques utilizados para la prevención y control de ese agravamiento sean evaluados en cuanto a sus éxitos y fracasos para que se perfeccionen en estudios futuros. Descriptores: Adolescente; Antropometría; Imagem Corporal; Red Social; Educación em Salud; Obesidad.


2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 58-76
Author(s):  
Lita Dwiputeri ◽  
Venie Viktoria Rondang Maulina

K-pop is a popular music genre from South Korea. K-pop female actresses or singers have an ideal body, which are desired by female K-pop fans. K-pop female actresess‟ ideal body can be regarded as a standard by female adolescent K-pop fans for body comparison, which can be defined as a comparison process with other‟s body. Female adolescent K-pop fans who do body comparison with K-pop female artist can have body dissatisfaction, which is defined as unfavorable or disparaging opinion of their own body components. Based on that phenomenon, this research investigates the contribution of body comparison with K-pop female artist to Indonesian female adolescent K-pop fans‟ body dissatisfaction. This research is quantitative research. Data were collected through giving questionnaires to 165 female adolescent K-pop fans in Indonesia. These questionnaires consist of the Body Satisfaction Scale, which was constructed by Slade, Dewey, Newton, Brodie, and Kiemle, for measuring body dissatisfaction. These questionnaires also consist of the Body Comparison with K-pop Female Artist Scale, which was adapted from the Body Comparison Scale by Thompson and Fisher. Data collected were analyzed using simple regression analysis. The result shows that body comparison with K-pop female artist contributes significantly to Indonesian female adolescent K-pop fans‟ body dissatisfaction. K-pop is a popular music genre from South Korea. K-pop female actresses or singers have an ideal body, which are desired by female K-pop fans. K-pop female actresess‟ ideal body can be regarded as a standard by female adolescent K-pop fans for body comparison, which can be defined as a comparison process with other‟s body. Female adolescent K-pop fans who do body comparison with K-pop female artist can have body dissatisfaction, which is defined as unfavorable or disparaging opinion of their own body components. Based on that phenomenon, this research investigates the contribution of body comparison with K-pop female artist to Indonesian female adolescent K-pop fans‟ body dissatisfaction. This research is quantitative research. Data were collected through giving questionnaires to 165 female adolescent K-pop fans in Indonesia. These questionnaires consist of the Body Satisfaction Scale, which was constructed by Slade, Dewey, Newton, Brodie, and Kiemle, for measuring body dissatisfaction. These questionnaires also consist of the Body Comparison with K-pop Female Artist Scale, which was adapted from the Body Comparison Scale by Thompson and Fisher. Data collected were analyzed using simple regression analysis. The result shows that body comparison with K-pop female artist contributes significantly to Indonesian female adolescent K-pop fans‟ body dissatisfaction.


2021 ◽  
pp. 135910452110007
Author(s):  
Anouk Verveen ◽  
Baudewijntje PC Kreukels ◽  
Nastasja M de Graaf ◽  
Thomas D Steensma

Background: In the DSM-5 diagnosis of childhood Gender Dysphoria, two of the eight criteria focus on body satisfaction of the child. Nevertheless, this subject is understudied. This study aims to describe the body image of children with gender incongruence (GI) in relation to birth assigned sex and the intensity of GI. Method: Self-report and parent-report measures on body satisfaction and gender incongruence were obtained from 207 children (<12 years) who were referred to the Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria at the Amsterdam University Medical Centers, location VUmc, between 2010 and 2016. First, a general description of body satisfaction in children who took part in this study is provided. Secondly, body image of birth assigned boys and girls are compared using chi-square tests and univariate ANCOVA’s. Thirdly, the association between intensity of GI and body image is examined using multiple linear regression analyses. Results: Of the 207 children with GI, 50% reported dissatisfaction with their gender-specific characteristics. Overall, children were less dissatisfied with their neutral body characteristics. Birth assigned girls report greater dissatisfaction with their body characteristics than birth assigned boys. Intensity of GI was significantly related to satisfaction with gender specific body characteristics where a greater intensity of GI relates to more body dissatisfaction. Conclusion: Mental health practitioners should be aware of the diversity in body dissatisfaction in this group. Furthermore, evaluation of body image should be an important topic in the counseling of these children. Future research should focus on the relation of body dissatisfaction and the development of gender incongruent feelings in children with GI.


2021 ◽  
pp. 002076402199281
Author(s):  
Kanika K Ahuja ◽  
Ananya Khandelwal ◽  
Debanjan Banerjee

Background: Psychosocial offshoots of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have extended to body dissatisfaction, especially among women. Factors such as increased social media exposure, weight gain memes, and peer conversations about appearance during lockdown might be the potential contributing factors, which need further exploration. The study examined the contribution of ‘fat talk’ and societal influences in determining body dissatisfaction among Indian women. The likely content of the ‘fat talk’ during the lockdown was also analyzed. Methods: The study followed a cross-sectional online based design. Participants comprised of 265 women, aged 15 to 50 years. The Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ-8c), Sociocultural Attitudes toward Appearance Questionnaire (SATAQ-3), and Negative Body Talk Scale were used to measure body satisfaction, societal influences, and fat talk respectively. Further, participants were asked to respond to a friend’s comment about her supposed weight gain in the pandemic (fat talk). Results: Fat talk, social influence, weight, and age were significantly correlated with body dissatisfaction. Multiple Regression models indicated that fat talk, social influence, weight, and age accounted for 53.33% of the variance in body satisfaction. Thematic analysis of responses to fat-talk conversations revealed two dominant themes: focus on exercise and diet, as well as acknowledging weight gain and normalizing it in the context of the pandemic. Conclusion: Fat talk amongst peers, societal influence and body-image stereotypes were the most potent contributors in determining body dissatisfaction among Indian women during the pandemic, which can contribute to significant dysfunction. These factors need addressal in the socio-cultural context through health campaigns, interpersonal strategies, and more positive and constructive forms of weight and body image-related communication.


2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 313-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola Bully ◽  
Paula Elosua

This study examines the level of body satisfaction in adolescents, and its association with age, sex and body mass index. A non-clinical group was made up of 935 adolescents (484 boys and 451 girls), aged between 10 and 18 years. The body image was assessed by the Body Dissatisfaction scale within the Eating Disorder Inventory (Garner, 1998, 2004) and by the indirect indicator Ideal Body Mass Index. The results showed that the Body Mass Index is an important covariable in the study of body dissatisfaction. Body dissatisfaction mean values increased in the female sample. The males' values did not change throughout adolescence.


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