TY - JOUR
T1 - Do men find "bony" women attractive?
T2 - Consequences of misperceiving opposite sex perceptions of attractive body image
AU - Bergstrom, Rochelle L.
AU - Neighbors, Clayton
AU - Lewis, Melissa A.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by the North Dakota Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network.
PY - 2004/5
Y1 - 2004/5
N2 - Due to its role in the development and maintenance of eating disorders, body image perceptions and dissatisfaction continue to be an important area of study. Perceptions of attractive body images held by members of the opposite sex are an important determinant of body image satisfaction among both men and women. This research shows that men are accurate in their perceptions of what women find attractive among men, but women believe men want women to be thinner than men actually report. Furthermore, this inaccurate perception is associated with eating disorder symptomatology. The role of contingent self-worth was also assessed. Results indicate that individuals whose self-worth is more contingent on appearance-related standards experience more negative consequences than those who misperceive what the opposite sex finds attractive, but whose self-worth is less contingent on appearance. Implications for intervention are discussed.
AB - Due to its role in the development and maintenance of eating disorders, body image perceptions and dissatisfaction continue to be an important area of study. Perceptions of attractive body images held by members of the opposite sex are an important determinant of body image satisfaction among both men and women. This research shows that men are accurate in their perceptions of what women find attractive among men, but women believe men want women to be thinner than men actually report. Furthermore, this inaccurate perception is associated with eating disorder symptomatology. The role of contingent self-worth was also assessed. Results indicate that individuals whose self-worth is more contingent on appearance-related standards experience more negative consequences than those who misperceive what the opposite sex finds attractive, but whose self-worth is less contingent on appearance. Implications for intervention are discussed.
KW - Body image
KW - Contingent self-worth
KW - Normative misperception
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=12144255099&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S1740-1445(03)00025-1
DO - 10.1016/S1740-1445(03)00025-1
M3 - Article
C2 - 18089150
AN - SCOPUS:12144255099
SN - 1740-1445
VL - 1
SP - 183
EP - 191
JO - Body Image
JF - Body Image
IS - 2
ER -