Dysphoria and body image among college women

Abstract

The present study used a multidimensional approach to invesigate the relationship between dysphoria and body image in college women. Unlike earlier studies, the effects of body mass and eating disorder status were statistically controlled. Body image was measured in terms of three modalities: affective evaluation of appearance, cognitive appraisal of one's body relative to that of one's peers, and perceptual size estimation. Results indicated that there is a significant relationship between dysphoria and both affective and cognitive evaluations of one's body. There was no significant relationship between dysphoria and perceptual size estimation scores. These results lend support to the importance of the distinction between affective, cognitive, and perceptual modalities in the assessment of body image, as well as the importance of taking affective state into account when investigating the relationship between eating disorders and body image. 0 1992 john Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Relationships Between Men’s and Women’s Body Image and Their Psychological, Social, and Sexual Functioning

“…To illustrate, although depression and body image variables were generally correlated, consistent with earlier research (Denniston, Roth, & Gilroy, 1992;Mable, Balance, & Galgan, 1986;Sarwer, Wadden, & Foster, 1998), associations were no longer present among most groups when we controlled for self-esteem. This is a surprising finding, given the attention paid by researchers to the importance of body image in understanding depression among women.…”

Prevalence of body image disturbance in a female adolescent sample: A longitudinal study

“…Body image disturbances have been attributed to several factors: cultural standards for beauty, disturbances in development of self-identity and effectiveness (Bruch, 1973), and sexual abuse (Rosen, 1990). Depression has been proposed to accentuate concerns with weight and shape (Ben-Tovim & Walker, 1991;Cash & Pruzinsky, 1990;Cohen-Tovde, 1993;Denniston et al, 1992).…”

“…Obsessivecompulsive symptoms seemed to be associated with eating symptoms, while depression and interpersonal sensitivity were associated with body disparagement and dissatisfaction. This finding confirmed the study by Denniston et al (1992), who found a significant association between dysphoria and cognitive-emotional aspects of body image. Finally, the Body Attitudes Test (BAT) seems to be a reliable and valid instrument also applicable in nonclinical populations.…”

Correlates of Bio-Psychosocial Factors on Perceived Body Image amongst Adolescents: Implications for Preventive Health Education

“…For instance, Thompson (1990) referred to body image dissatisfaction as body image disturbance. While Denniston, Roth and Culkroy (1992) found association of body image dissatisfaction with the incidences of depression. Also, Thompson and Altabe (1991) discovered incidences of heightened anxiety and lowered self-esteem based on one's body image perception.…”