Body Image Theory

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Disturbances in Viso-spatial representations of body size have been noted in healthy adult populations not experiencing body dissatisfaction. Funetes, Longo, & Haggard (2013) examined healthy adults body perception using a body image task. Participants were shown a head on a computer screen and asked to indicate where their body parts were relative to the head these created images were then compared to participant’s actual body size. The adults overestimated their shoulder width to height ratio by 40% while underestimating length of their arms and legs. No significant difference was found between gender. This suggest that healthy adult’s mental representation of themselves varies from their actual body size, indicating that adults not experiencing …show more content…
This theory examines the influence of culture, social ideals, weight expectations on body image. Most researchers on body image support that theory that sociocultural factors have the most influence on body image (Dalley, Buunk, Umit, 2009; Bessenoff, 2006; Posavac, Posavac & Weigel, 2001; Van den Berg et al., 2007; Yamamiya, Cash, Melnyk, Posavac & Posavac, 2005). Supporting this theory, Stormer & Thompson (1995) compared the developmental theory and the sociocultural theory of body image. Social comparison and societal factors associated with the social-cultural theory were significant predictors of body dissatisfaction and eating disturbances; weight-based teasing explained a small portion of the variance; and age of menarche did not significantly …show more content…
Body comparisons to peers (Clark & Tiggemann, 2006; Lawler & Nixon, 2011) and family members (Lev-Ari et al., 2014) are also identified as risk factors for body dissatisfaction. As the sociocultural theory of body image development is one of the most theoretically and empirically supported explanations of body image, the proposed research design will utilize sub theory of the Sociocultural theory, feminist theory.
Feminist theory postulates that through social learning, individuals equate physical attractiveness with self-esteem (CITE). Women’s self-worth has become tied to thinness and attractiveness as evident by body dissatisfaction being referred to as “normative discontent” in women (Rodin, Silberstein & Striegel-Moore, 1984). This can lead to discrepancies between an individual’s actual body size and ideal body. This discrepancy is a significant predictor of body dissatisfaction (Heider, Spruyt & De Houwer, 2015; MacNeill & Best,

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