Gender, Body Image, and Self-Concept in Early Adolescence

Abstract

Structure and valuation of body image and the relationship between body image and self-concept were examined in 169 ninth-grade males and females. Three specific hypotheses were tested: (a) that females would have more differentiated body images than males; (b) that males would value their bodies more than females; and (c) that the degree of relationship between valuation of body image and self-concept would be stronger for females than for males. Two measures of body image, body satisfaction and body experience, and two measures of self-concept, self-esteem and self-awareness, were employed. As predicted, females had more diffierentiated, and males more global, body images, and males were more positive about their bodies than were females. Contrary to expectations, no significant gender differences were found for any of the correlations between body image and self-concept, although all correlations for males were higher than were those for females.

Little Girls in Women's Bodies: Social Interaction and the Strategizing of Early Breast Development

“…Teasing about breast development is related to poor body image, heightened selfawareness, and self-consciousness (Brooks-Gunn, 1984). In line with this argument about the processes of sexual objectification that reduce women to particular body parts, Koff, Rierdan, and Stubbs (1990) found that adolescent girls have less positive and more differentiated attitudes toward various dimensions of their bodies than boys do.…”

Eating disorders and the media — magazine reading habits and their possible relationship to eating disorders

“…Ennek egyik közvetlen következménye lehet a testtel való elégedetlenség. Több vizsgálatban is kimutatták a serdülôk (Collins, 1991) és fiatal felnôtt nôk (Koff, Rierdan, & Stubbs, 1990) testtel való elégedetlenségét és a sovány (vagy az aktuális tápláltsági állapotnál soványabb) testideál elônyben részesítését mint a divat-és fitneszmagazinok olvasásának következmé-nyét.…”

The effect of the Ontario Ranger Programme on the participants' self-esteem and self-concept levels

“…The results of a study conducted by Koff et al (1990) demonstrated that females were significantly less satisfied with their bodies than were the male respondents. This dissatisfaction was one of the factors resulting in females possessing lower self-esteem levels than the male respondents.…”

“…According to a study conducted with 169 ninth-grade students (Koff, Rierdan, & Stubbs, 1990) females and male respondents view their bodies differently and utilize their appearances and abilities to achieve different means. Females generally view their bodies as a means of attracting others, while males generally view their bodies as a means to accomplish specific tasks and affect their surrounding environment (Koff et al, 1990).…”

“…Females generally view their bodies as a means of attracting others, while males generally view their bodies as a means to accomplish specific tasks and affect their surrounding environment (Koff et al, 1990).…”