“Pretty Pressure” From Peers, Parents, and the Media: A Longitudinal Study of Appearance‐Based Rejection Sensitivity

Abstract

Drawing from the tripartite sociocultural model of body image, the researchers examined whether direct messages and modeling from peers, parents, and media were concurrently and prospectively associated with appearance-based rejection sensitivity (appearance-RS) in young adolescents (M = 12.0 years). Appearance-RS was higher among those who concurrently reported more appearance-related teasing and pressure by peers, more parent teasing, and greater acceptance of media appearance ideals. In prospective analyses, greater increases in appearance-RS over 1 year were found for adolescents who perceived higher levels of parental appearance-related teasing and negative attitudes about their own appearance. Moderation analyses indicated the positive prospective association between parental negative appearance attitudes and appearance-RS was found in younger but not older participants. Gender did not moderate associations.

Validation of the Lithuanian Version of the Sociocultural Attitudes towards Appearance Questionnaire-4 (SATAQ-4) in a Student Sample

“…The Internalization subscale: Muscular/athletic consists of 5 items (1, 2, 6, 7, and 10) and figures out how much one believes he/she should look muscular and athletic (e.g., item 6, "I spend a lot of time doing things to look more athletic."). The Pressure subscale: Family indicates family members' pressure to meet the dominant sociocultural standards for appearance and consists of 4 items (11,12,13, and 14; e.g., item 12, "I feel pressure from family members to improve my appearance."). The 4-item (15, 16, 17, and 18) Pressures subscale: Peers demonstrates the extent to which a person from friends and peers feels pressured to meet social expectations of appearance (e.g., item 16, "I feel pressure from my peers to improve my appearance.").…”

“…Research suggests that exposure to idealized media images that emphasize Western values of appearance leads young women and men to body image concerns and eating pathology [3,[8][9][10]. Parents, siblings, and family might influence body image of the young women and men through appearance-related comments, appearance-related teasing, appearance-related comments, teasing, or even bullying [11,12]. Taken together, research shows that perceived pressures from media, family, and peers are associated with body dissatisfaction.…”

Body image and attitude to one's body in adolescent: family and sociocultural factors (based on foreign researches)

“…Австралийские авторы Уэбб Х., Циммер-Гембек М. и коллеги [27] изучали влияние «социокультурного треугольника» (сверстники, родители, СМИ) на чувствительность подростков к отвержению из-за внешности. Была выдвинута гипотеза, что чувствительность к отвержению из-за внешности у подростков будет расти в течение одного года, если они будут испытывать больше насмешек из-а внешнего вида от сверстников и родителей, а также давление с их стороны с тем, чтобы быть более привлекательными.…”

Tween Television and Peers: Reinforcing Social Agents in Early Adolescents' Body Surveillance and Self‐Objectification

“…According to sociocultural theory, societal standards of (sexual) attractiveness can be transmitted via different agents, most notably parents, peers, and the media (e.g., Jones, Vigfusdottir, & Lee, ; Webb et al., ). If narrow standards of attractiveness are transmitted by parents or peers one speaks of interpersonal sexualization.…”