Body image concern is not a foreign experience among men; the literature indicates that men, like women, experience negative thoughts about... Show moreBody image concern is not a foreign experience among men; the literature indicates that men, like women, experience negative thoughts about their body. It continues to be accepted that women experience greater body dissatisfaction than do men; however, based on prior research, this conclusion may be inaccurate. The primary aim of the present study was to examine whether the discrepancy between current body size and ideal body size differed by sex; the examination was conducted with the overall sample and then with only those men and women who preferred a slimmer physique. Self-esteem, internalization of the cultural-ideal, and body acceptance were examined in relation to weight concern, overall body dissatisfaction in women, muscularity dissatisfaction in men, and the body size discrepancy estimate. An additional purpose of the present study was the investigation of a potential consequence among women of misperceiving the body preferences of men. Also explored was whether the body size discrepancy, derived from a figural measure, is a valid measure of body dissatisfaction. Participants were 248 men and women college students who completed 10 self-report questionnaires and engaged in the Body Morph Assessment Program Version 2.0 (BMA 2.0), a computerized body image assessment procedure. Results indicated that the average body size discrepancy was greater for women in the overall sample; yet, in the restricted sample no sex difference was observed. In comparison to self-esteem and internalization of the cultural-ideal, body acceptance was found to be most consistently related to the aforementioned constructs. Also found was that the more slender a female figure women regarded as being most attractive to men the more they engaged in disordered eating. Results of the present study suggested that the discrepancy estimate likely measures a construct that is different than that measured by an evaluative measure of overall body dissatisfaction or weight concern. Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2012 Show less
