Abstract
Introduction: Body image has been shown to be subject to explicit, body-related feedback influences, yet little attention has been paid to subtle feedback about overall social acceptability. The current study tested competing hypotheses regarding women's body image after being primed with cued social rejection or acceptance. Whereas sociometer theory predicts that women will perceive their bodies more negatively following a social rejection prime, self-enhancement theory predicts the opposite. Method: A total of 105 female undergraduate students underwent a conditioning procedure in which distinctive tones were paired with signs of social rejection or acceptance. After this, body distortion (measured by a participant-adjusted virtual image), self-reported body satisfaction and affect were measured, while one of the tones sounded repeatedly in the background. Results: Compared with the acceptance condition, rejection condition participants reported greater state negative affect, F(1, 103) = 4.41, p = .04, greater state positive affect, F(1, 103) = 5.52, p = .02, and perceived their bodies as being smaller, F(1, 103) = 6.53, p = .01, consistent with the expectations of self-enhancement theory. Discussion: Implications of these findings are discussed regarding improved understanding of body image disturbance as well as development of novel clinical treatments.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 395-408 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology |
| Volume | 38 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - May 2019 |
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Keywords
- Body image
- Eating disorder pathology
- Social acceptance
- Social rejection
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Social Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
Cite this
Body image distortion following social rejection or acceptance cues. / Mu, Wenting; Schoenleber, Michelle; Leon, Ariana Castro; Berenbaum, Howard.
In: Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, Vol. 38, No. 5, 05.2019, p. 395-408.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Body image distortion following social rejection or acceptance cues
AU - Mu, Wenting
AU - Schoenleber, Michelle
AU - Leon, Ariana Castro
AU - Berenbaum, Howard
PY - 2019/5
Y1 - 2019/5
N2 - Introduction: Body image has been shown to be subject to explicit, body-related feedback influences, yet little attention has been paid to subtle feedback about overall social acceptability. The current study tested competing hypotheses regarding women's body image after being primed with cued social rejection or acceptance. Whereas sociometer theory predicts that women will perceive their bodies more negatively following a social rejection prime, self-enhancement theory predicts the opposite. Method: A total of 105 female undergraduate students underwent a conditioning procedure in which distinctive tones were paired with signs of social rejection or acceptance. After this, body distortion (measured by a participant-adjusted virtual image), self-reported body satisfaction and affect were measured, while one of the tones sounded repeatedly in the background. Results: Compared with the acceptance condition, rejection condition participants reported greater state negative affect, F(1, 103) = 4.41, p = .04, greater state positive affect, F(1, 103) = 5.52, p = .02, and perceived their bodies as being smaller, F(1, 103) = 6.53, p = .01, consistent with the expectations of self-enhancement theory. Discussion: Implications of these findings are discussed regarding improved understanding of body image disturbance as well as development of novel clinical treatments.
AB - Introduction: Body image has been shown to be subject to explicit, body-related feedback influences, yet little attention has been paid to subtle feedback about overall social acceptability. The current study tested competing hypotheses regarding women's body image after being primed with cued social rejection or acceptance. Whereas sociometer theory predicts that women will perceive their bodies more negatively following a social rejection prime, self-enhancement theory predicts the opposite. Method: A total of 105 female undergraduate students underwent a conditioning procedure in which distinctive tones were paired with signs of social rejection or acceptance. After this, body distortion (measured by a participant-adjusted virtual image), self-reported body satisfaction and affect were measured, while one of the tones sounded repeatedly in the background. Results: Compared with the acceptance condition, rejection condition participants reported greater state negative affect, F(1, 103) = 4.41, p = .04, greater state positive affect, F(1, 103) = 5.52, p = .02, and perceived their bodies as being smaller, F(1, 103) = 6.53, p = .01, consistent with the expectations of self-enhancement theory. Discussion: Implications of these findings are discussed regarding improved understanding of body image disturbance as well as development of novel clinical treatments.
KW - Body image
KW - Eating disorder pathology
KW - Social acceptance
KW - Social rejection
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85066328252&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85066328252&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1521/jscp.2019.38.5.395
DO - 10.1521/jscp.2019.38.5.395
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85066328252
VL - 38
SP - 395
EP - 408
JO - Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology
JF - Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology
SN - 0736-7236
IS - 5
ER -