Over or Under? Mental Representations and the Paradox of Body Size Estimation

Brooks, Kevin R.; Stevenson, Richard J.; Stephen, Ian D.

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.706313

Cited by 9 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…As such, they need to reduce (increase) the size of bodies when selecting normal-looking stimuli post-adaptation. Importantly, the current perception of the body stimuli becomes distorted by adaptation, and not the representation of the body stored in memory [ 15 , 16 ]. A possible negative consequence of body size adaptation is the misperception of one's own body size.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of attention on body size adaptation and body dissatisfaction

et al. 2022

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Attentional bias to low-fat bodies is thought to be associated with body dissatisfaction—a symptom and risk factor of eating disorders. However, the causal nature of this relationship is unclear. In three preregistered experiments, we trained 370 women to attend towards either high- or low-fat body stimuli using an attention training dot probe task. For each experiment, we analysed the effect of the attention training on (i) attention to subsequently presented high- versus low-fat body stimuli, (ii) visual adaptation to body size, and (iii) body dissatisfaction. The attention training had no effect on attention towards high- or low-fat bodies in an online setting (Experiment 1), but did increase attention to high-fat bodies in a laboratory setting (Experiment 2). Neither perceptions of a ‘normal’ body size nor levels of body dissatisfaction changed as a result of the attention training in either setting. The results in the online setting did not change when we reduced the stimulus onset-asynchrony of the dot probe task from 500 to 100 ms (Experiment 3). Our results provide no evidence that the dot probe training task used here has robust effects on attention to body size, body image disturbance or body dissatisfaction.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of attention on body size adaptation and body dissatisfaction

et al. 2022

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“…We interpret our results as a positive effect on the body's representation (viewing a wider image causing the internal representation to become wider) but appreciate that this could be a consequence of the photographs themselves becoming perceptually distorted [ 6 , 26 ]. That is, after exposure to a wider body, the test photographs could have appeared narrower, meaning a wider one would need to have been chosen to match their own body representation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such observations support the idea of adaptation to images specifically of distorted bodies causing their effects at a high level in the brain in areas specific to body shape, and not just a low-level effect of width in general. Media exposure to idealized bodies has also been shown to affect body size estimation through high-level alterations in response to real-world experiences [ 6 , 9 ]. Furthermore, adaptation effects are maintained despite changes in body orientation [ 53 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Knowing how the body is represented in the brain and how the representation is correctly scaled is critical for a complete understanding of proprioception and motor functioning [ 5 ]. When referring to the body representation we consider it as a kind of memory, along with other related concepts such as the perceived ‘normal’ body size [ 6 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Changes in the perceived size of the body following exposure to distorted self-body images

2022

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Inaccurate perceptions, such as under- or over-estimation of body size are often found in clinical eating disorder populations but have recently been shown also in healthy people. However, it is not yet clear how body size perception may be affected when the internal body representation is manipulated. In this study, visual adaptation was used to investigate whether exposure to distorted visual feedback alters the representation of body size and how long any such effects might last. Participants were exposed for five minutes to a distorted life-size image of themselves that was either 20% wider or 20% narrower than their normal size. Accuracy was measured using our novel psychophysical method that taps into the implicit body representation. The accuracy of the representation was assessed at 6, 12 and 18 min following exposure to adaptation. Altered visual feedback caused changes in participants' judgements of their body size: adapting to a wider body resulted in size overestimation whereas underestimations occurred after adapting to a narrower body. These distortions lasted throughout testing and did not fully return back to normal within 18 min. The results are discussed in terms of the emerging literature indicating that the internal representation of the body is dynamic and flexible.

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“…Given the developmental nature of this period of life, researchers have proposed multifactorial models involving biological and individual psychological characteristics, social influences, and interpersonal interactions with the aim of explaining the underlying factors that lead to, or protect against, the development of body image disturbances in adolescents [ 22 , 23 ]. To understand how adolescents’ problems with estimating their body size arise, it is important to look at social–cognitive processes, as well as the function of visual adaptation [ 3 , 24 ]. Although the distinction between body weight misperception and body dissatisfaction is emphasised [ 25 , 26 ], inadequate body weight perception may lead to body image disturbances.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychosocial Predictors of Body Weight Congruence in Adolescents Aged 15 and 17 Years in Poland: Findings from the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) Study

Dzielska

Woynarowska

2022

IJERPH

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Background: Body weight congruence (BWC) has implications for adolescent health. The main goal of this study was to examine the distribution of BWC and its relationship with six psychosocial factors. Methods: A representative sample of N = 3508 adolescents aged 15 and 17 years (52.4% girls) derived from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study, conducted in 2017/2018 in Poland, was used. BWC groups were defined based on self-reported BMI and subjective assessment of weight: (1) correct perception; (2) overestimation, and (3). underestimation. Principal component analysis (PCA) extracted the following two factors: a socio-relational factor (SR) related to perceived social support and social self-efficacy, and a body attitudes and social media exposure factor (BAME). Using the total sample, multinomial logistic regression was applied to estimate their impact on the BWC, and gender-specific models were compared. Results: Half (48.6%) of the adolescents correctly estimated their body weight, 31.0% overestimated it (girls 43.9%, boys 17.1%), and 20.0% underestimated it (boys 37.2%, girls 9.0%). Overestimation of body weight concerns 48.0% of normal weight girls, 50.0% of underweight girls, and 21.3% and 32.1% of normal weight and underweight boys, respectively. The percentage of normal weight (34.4%), and overweight and obese (30.8%) boys who underestimated their body weight was three times higher than the respective percentages of girls that underestimated their weight (9.0% and 11.9%). The SR factor protected adolescents from both underestimation (only in girls) and overestimation in the total sample (OR 0.74, 95%CI 0.68–0.81) and both genders. BAME increased this risk of overestimation in both genders (OR = 1.83, 95%CI 1.67–2.0), and the risk of underestimation among boys. Conclusions: Prevention programmes should include a wide range of psychosocial factors to improve BWC among adolescents.

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Over or Under? Mental Representations and the Paradox of Body Size Estimation

Cited by 9 publications

References 39 publications

The effect of attention on body size adaptation and body dissatisfaction

The effect of attention on body size adaptation and body dissatisfaction

Changes in the perceived size of the body following exposure to distorted self-body images

Psychosocial Predictors of Body Weight Congruence in Adolescents Aged 15 and 17 Years in Poland: Findings from the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) Study

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