“Don’t bring me down”

Abstract

Ample evidence has shown that secure attachment is related to more positive body-related attitudes in women. However, existing studies are primarily correlational, leaving questions about causal direction unanswered. This article reports results of two experiments that tested the effects of a guided visualization priming procedure on body image. In Experiment 1, 87 female undergraduates completed a neutral prime at Time 1 and were randomly assigned to either a secure or anxious prime at Time 2. They completed a general measure of body image after each priming task. In Experiment 2, 49 female students and 51 male students completed a neutral prime, a secure prime, and an anxious prime, followed by a measure of body appreciation, at three different sessions 1 week apart. In both studies, women’s body image worsened in response to the anxious attachment prime but was unaffected by the secure attachment prime. For women, the effect of the anxious prime was conditional upon body mass index and dispositional attachment anxiety. The primes had no effect on men’s body image. Directions for future research, clinical implications, and limitations of the present studies are discussed.

The Relationship Between Perfectionism, Early Maladaptive Schemas, Attachment Styles, and Body Image Concern by the Mediating Role of Self-esteem in Cosmetic Surgery Applicants

“…The results of indirect coefficients also presented that the indirect effects of attachment styles (avoidance style only) on body image concern, with the mediating role of selfesteem, were significant. This result was in line with those of Salehi et al (2019), Yoon and Kim (2020), Ghanbari Nejad Esfaqan Sari and Zarbakhsh Bahri (2015), Homan et al (2018), Szalai et al (2017), and Davis and Vernon (2002). As a result, attachment is a deep emotional bond, i.e.…”

“…The obtained data demonstrated that only the coefficient of direct avoidance attachment path was significant on body image concern. This result was consistent with those of Salehi et al (2019), Homan et al (2018), Szalai et al (2017, and Davis and Vernon (2002). Khorshidi and Fathi Aqdam (2018) argued that among the types of attachment styles (safe, avoidant, and ambivalent), those with secure attachment styles present a better body image.…”

“…Thus, these attachment styles are formed mainly based on the individual's experiences with primary care, remain relatively stable throughout life, and affect their social interactions (Fuchshuber et al 2019). Perfectionism (Saravani & Shirazi 2018), early maladaptive schemas (Salehi, Rajabi & Dehghani 2019), and attachment styles (Szalai et al 2017;Homan et al 2018) are related to concerns about body image. Furthermore, self-esteem can be related to predictor variables and affect body image concerns.…”

Self-compassion mediates the relationship between attachment anxiety and body appreciation in women and men: Evidence from Israel

“…Our results broadly corroborate those previous findings, but also extend them through our utilisation of a more up-to-date measure of body appreciation (i.e., the BAS-2 compared to the BAS), the inclusion of community women and men (as opposed to college women alone), and the use of a sample from a new national context (i.e., Israel). Our findings are consistent with the suggestion that attachment anxiety is associated with poorer body image (Frederick et al, 2015;Homan et al, 2018;Iannantuono & Tylka, 2012;van den Brink et al, 2016), but also that self-compassion mediates the relationship between attachment anxiety and body appreciation (Raque-Bogdan et al, 2016).…”

“…However, of the two constructs, it is attachment anxietybut not attachment avoidance -that has been shown to be significantly associated with less positive body image (Frederick et al, 2015;Iannantuono & Tylka, 2012;van den Brink et al, 2016). In addition, priming anxious attachment has been shown to worsen women's, though not men's, positive body image (Homan et al, 2018). Although these studies suggest a direct link between attachment anxiety and positive body image, indirect pathways are also possible.…”