Social Comparison. The inclusion of social comparison within the TIM stems from social comparison theory (Festinger, 1954). According to Festinger (1954), individuals have an inherent drive to evaluate their opinions and abilities. When objective standards are unavailable, individuals seek out others to make comparisons. The outcome of such comparisons is partially influenced by directionality, that is upward or downward. Upward comparisons are proposed to occur when an individual compares him- or herself to someone perceived as “better off” and are likely to produce negative outcomes, such as decreased self-esteem. Downward comparisons are proposed to occur when an individual compares him- or herself to someone perceived as “worse off” and
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Although there is some evidence to suggest appearance social comparison mediates the relationship between peers and parents with BD, it is limited (e.g., Lev-Ari, Baumgarten-Katz, & Zohar, 2014; Rodgers et al., 2011; Shroff & Thompson, 2006; van den Berg et al., 2002). Many of the researchers who have directly tested the TIM have excluded the mediating role of appearance social comparison (e.g., Johnson, et al., 2015; Menzel et al., 2011) while other have focused on the relationship between peer and parent communication with feelings of self-worth (Lev-Ari, Baumgarten-Katz, & Zohar, 2014). Although some researchers recognize this as a limitation, other suggest that appearance social comparison does not uniquely contribute to BD after controlling for thin-ideal internalization (Huxley, Halliwell, & Clarke, 2015; Tylka, 2012). When the mediation effect of appearance social comparison is included, researchers generally report a significant relationship for only peer influence (e.g., Lev-Ari et al., 2014; Shroff & Thompson, …show more content…
First, among many of the studies included in these meta-analyses, appearance social comparison is inferred. Whereas some studies directly measure appearance social comparison (e.g., van den Berg et al., 2007), other infer it based on the assumption that exposure to the thin-ideal body will inherently lead to appearance social comparison (e.g., Yamamiya et al., 2005). While one advantage of self-report measures is that they directly assess the process of appearance social comparison, a disadvantage is that they may lead to demand characteristics and overinflate the hypothesized relationship (Myers & Crowther, 2009). Second, according to Ferguson (2013), the pervasive close or clear pairing of independent and dependent variables create the potential for hypothesis guessing. When considering the relationship between media exposure and BD, hypothesis guessing may be a relatively simple matter, especially for undergraduate students who are likely aware of both the experimental procedure and the hypothesized relationship between media and BD (Ferguson, 2013). Finally, results from the meta-analyses suggest other individual factors may be mediating the relationship between appearance social comparison and BD. Similar to the arguments made by Fitzsimmons-Craft (2011), while there is support, at least among certain groups, for a relationship between appearance social comparison and BD, the TIM does not sufficiently explain which factors may explain
Although there is some evidence to suggest appearance social comparison mediates the relationship between peers and parents with BD, it is limited (e.g., Lev-Ari, Baumgarten-Katz, & Zohar, 2014; Rodgers et al., 2011; Shroff & Thompson, 2006; van den Berg et al., 2002). Many of the researchers who have directly tested the TIM have excluded the mediating role of appearance social comparison (e.g., Johnson, et al., 2015; Menzel et al., 2011) while other have focused on the relationship between peer and parent communication with feelings of self-worth (Lev-Ari, Baumgarten-Katz, & Zohar, 2014). Although some researchers recognize this as a limitation, other suggest that appearance social comparison does not uniquely contribute to BD after controlling for thin-ideal internalization (Huxley, Halliwell, & Clarke, 2015; Tylka, 2012). When the mediation effect of appearance social comparison is included, researchers generally report a significant relationship for only peer influence (e.g., Lev-Ari et al., 2014; Shroff & Thompson, …show more content…
First, among many of the studies included in these meta-analyses, appearance social comparison is inferred. Whereas some studies directly measure appearance social comparison (e.g., van den Berg et al., 2007), other infer it based on the assumption that exposure to the thin-ideal body will inherently lead to appearance social comparison (e.g., Yamamiya et al., 2005). While one advantage of self-report measures is that they directly assess the process of appearance social comparison, a disadvantage is that they may lead to demand characteristics and overinflate the hypothesized relationship (Myers & Crowther, 2009). Second, according to Ferguson (2013), the pervasive close or clear pairing of independent and dependent variables create the potential for hypothesis guessing. When considering the relationship between media exposure and BD, hypothesis guessing may be a relatively simple matter, especially for undergraduate students who are likely aware of both the experimental procedure and the hypothesized relationship between media and BD (Ferguson, 2013). Finally, results from the meta-analyses suggest other individual factors may be mediating the relationship between appearance social comparison and BD. Similar to the arguments made by Fitzsimmons-Craft (2011), while there is support, at least among certain groups, for a relationship between appearance social comparison and BD, the TIM does not sufficiently explain which factors may explain