Exploring a model linking social physique anxiety, drive for muscularity, drive for thinness and self-esteem among adolescent boys and girls

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“…Sample questions included "When I look in the mirror I feel good about my physique or figure" and "In the presence of others, I feel apprehensive about my physique or figure." In the current study, the alpha level was .82, which is comparable to those that used the full scale (α = .87; Brunet et al, 2010). Concerning validity, Brunet et al (2010) found self esteem to be related negatively to social physique anxiety, which in turn was related positively to drive for muscularity and drive for thinness.…”

“…As there are gender disparities concerning the prevalence of eating disorders (Brunet et al, 2010) and self esteem (Harter, 2012), it is perhaps not surprising that there are gender differences in social physique anxiety as well. In this decade alone, the media has had a substantial impact on individuals' ideals of appearance, with men experiencing a drive for muscularity and women experiencing a drive for thinness (Hutchinson, Rapee, & Taylor, 2010).…”

“…After puberty, the ideal of an unrealistically thin body becomes increasingly harder for girls (and, later, women) to achieve due to the normative increase in body fat (Smoll & Schutz, 1990). Boys (and men) have an easier time during and after puberty acquiring muscles than do girls (and women; Brunet et al, 2010). Therefore, our findings fit with the literature because the physical reality of the muscle to fat ratio has the potential to result in higher levels of social physique anxiety in these emerging adult women compared to emerging adult men.…”

Internalization as a mediator of the relationship between conformity to masculine norms and body image attitudes and behaviors among young men in Sweden, US, UK, and Australia

“…Interestingly, internalization was a less consistent mediator between masculinity norms and drive for thinness, perhaps because drive for thinness is a less salient variable for males in general, relative to females (Brunet, Sabiston, Dorsch, & McCreary, 2010). Studies suggest that drive for muscularity and leanness are more relevant constructs with regard to male body image, which may explain this finding (Stanford & Lemberg, 2012;Tod, Hall, & Edwards, 2012;Tod, Morrison, & Edwards, 2012).…”

The Social Appearance Anxiety Scale in Italian Adolescent Populations: Construct Validation and Group Discrimination in Community and Clinical Eating Disorders Samples

“…Negative interpersonal evaluation involving one's appearance seems as one of the main sources of distress during adolescence [25-27, 31, 32] in part due to significant physical changes, increased importance of social conformity and desire to appear attractive to members of the opposite sex, and heightened self-consciousness and concerns for peer evaluations [11,27,[31][32][33][34][35]. However, little is currently known regarding its effects on an adolescent's emotional experiences, well-being and health-related outcomes.…”