1
|
Rochelle TL, Huang X. The influence of gender and body satisfaction on attentional bias among young adults in Hong Kong: An eye-tracking study. J Health Psychol 2024:13591053241278509. [PMID: 39277751 DOI: 10.1177/13591053241278509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The present study examined gender differences in attentional bias of body images. Using an experimental design, 58 young adults aged 18-29 years (Mage = 20.53) completed self-report measures of body satisfaction, eating pathology and trait appearance comparison before viewing whole body images of thin/muscular and large men/women through an eye tracker. After viewing the images, participants completed self-report measures of body satisfaction and state appearance comparison, BMI was also recorded. Results revealed that higher BMI was associated with reduced body satisfaction. Problematic eating attitudes were associated with greater engagement in appearance comparison, which was linked to lower levels of body satisfaction. Exposure to idealised body images negatively impacted individuals with lower body satisfaction leading to lower levels of body satisfaction post-experiment. Findings provide support for the positive association between body dissatisfaction and attentional bias to idealised bodies in both women and men in a Chinese context.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tina L Rochelle
- City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
| | - Xiuyan Huang
- City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Amin S, Ly M, Misener K, Brown N, Libben M. Validation of the translated Negative Physical Self Scale in a sample of Asian women living in Canada. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301184. [PMID: 38696442 PMCID: PMC11065207 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Body dissatisfaction is often linked to the internalization of Western beauty standards. Existing measures of body dissatisfaction, developed in Western societies, may fail to capture complex variations across ethnicities and cultures. The Negative Physical Self Scale (NPSS) assesses cognitive, affective, perceptual, and behavioural facets of body dissatisfaction. While unique in its consideration of Chinese ideals of body image, the NPSS has recently been translated and validated in a North American sample. The English-translated version of the NPSS has the potential to be an appropriate body dissatisfaction assessment tool for Asian women living in North America. The current study aims to validate the NPSS in an Asian female population living in Canada. METHODS A sample of 899 undergraduate women residing in Canada with self-identified Asian ethnicity completed an online survey consisting of the NPSS and other measures of body dissatisfaction. RESULTS An initial confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the four-factor structure of the NPSS, previously suggested in a primarily non-Asian North American sample, was a poor fit for the data. A second-order multidimensional model, based on a model proposed during the original development of the NPSS in a Chinese sample, indicated good fit once items were removed due to loadings < .60. High internal consistency between subscales and strong convergent validity with other measures were demonstrated. Notably, the NPSS Body Concern subscale demonstrated high convergence with other popular measures of body dissatisfaction and has the potential for use as a brief measure of body dissatisfaction among North American Asian females in clinical and research settings. CONCLUSIONS The NPSS provides a valid assessment of body dissatisfaction among a sample of Asian women living in Canada, a specific subpopulation that has not been previously investigated. The findings highlight the importance of developing culturally sensitive measures of body dissatisfaction for differing ethnic and cultural groups.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shahrazad Amin
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - May Ly
- Department of Psychology, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Kaylee Misener
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Natalie Brown
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Maya Libben
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Mendoza-Medialdea MT, Meschberger-Annweiler FA, Ascione M, Rueda-Pina A, Rabarbari E, Porras-Garcia B, Ferrer-Garcia M, Gutiérrez-Maldonado J. Body Dissatisfaction and Body-Related Attentional Bias: Is There a Causal Relationship? J Clin Med 2023; 12:5659. [PMID: 37685726 PMCID: PMC10488727 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12175659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous research has shown an association between body dissatisfaction and attentional biases toward the body, but the nature of this relationship is not clear. It is possible that dissatisfaction causes attentional bias or that dissatisfaction is a result of such bias. To clarify the causal relationship between these two variables, this study manipulated dissatisfaction in a sample of healthy women by exposing them to images of "ideal" bodies and observed whether this manipulation increased attentional biases toward different body parts. Fifty-seven women took part in a pre-post experimental design in which they observed an avatar representing themselves in a virtual mirror before and after being exposed to "thin ideal" photographs. Eye-tracking technology was employed to quantify the frequency and duration of fixations on weight-related and weight-unrelated body parts. The outcomes revealed a successful induction of body dissatisfaction, leading participants to display a heightened number of fixations and prolonged fixation durations on unrelated-weight body parts. These findings remained significant after controlling for the effects of trait body dissatisfaction and body mass index. The results imply that heightened body dissatisfaction fosters the aversion of attention from weight-related body parts, which may function as a protective mechanism for preserving self-esteem and promoting psychological well-being.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- María Teresa Mendoza-Medialdea
- Department of Psychology, Universidad de Jaén, Paraje las Lagunillas s/n, 23071 Jaén, Spain;
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Passeig de Vall d’Hebron 175, 08035 Barcelona, Spain (E.R.)
| | - Franck-Alexandre Meschberger-Annweiler
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Passeig de Vall d’Hebron 175, 08035 Barcelona, Spain (E.R.)
| | - Mariarca Ascione
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Passeig de Vall d’Hebron 175, 08035 Barcelona, Spain (E.R.)
| | - Alejandra Rueda-Pina
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Passeig de Vall d’Hebron 175, 08035 Barcelona, Spain (E.R.)
| | - Elisa Rabarbari
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Passeig de Vall d’Hebron 175, 08035 Barcelona, Spain (E.R.)
| | - Bruno Porras-Garcia
- Brain, Cognition, and Behavior Research Group, Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa (CST), Ctr. Torrebonica, s/n, 08227 Terrassa, Spain
- Department of Basic Sciences, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Josep Trueta Street, s/n, 08195 Sant Cugat del Vallès, Spain
| | - Marta Ferrer-Garcia
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Passeig de Vall d’Hebron 175, 08035 Barcelona, Spain (E.R.)
| | - José Gutiérrez-Maldonado
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Passeig de Vall d’Hebron 175, 08035 Barcelona, Spain (E.R.)
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
House T, Graham K, Ellis B, Bould H, Attwood AS, Stephen ID, Brooks KR, Penton-Voak IS. Is body dissatisfaction related to an attentional bias towards low weight bodies in non-clinical samples of women? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Body Image 2023; 44:103-119. [PMID: 36563472 DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Body dissatisfaction is defined as the negative subjective evaluation of one's body and is considered a risk factor for, and symptom of, eating disorders. Some studies show women with high body dissatisfaction display an attentional bias towards low weight bodies; however, this finding is not consistent, and results are yet to be systematically synthesised. We conducted a qualitative and quantitative synthesis of cross-sectional studies investigating the relationship between body dissatisfaction and attentional bias to low weight bodies in non-clinical samples of women. We searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, ProQuest, and OpenGrey for studies up until September 2022. We identified 34 eligible studies involving a total of 2857 women. A meta-analysis of 26 studies (75 effects) found some evidence from gaze tracking studies for a positive association between body dissatisfaction and attentional bias to low weight bodies. We found no evidence for an association from studies measuring attention using the dot probe task, electroencephalogram (EEG) recording, or the modified spatial cueing task. The results together provide partial support for the positive association between body dissatisfaction and attentional bias to low weight bodies in women. These findings can be used to inform future attentional bias research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- T House
- School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Australia; School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, United Kingdom.
| | - K Graham
- Cumbria Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom
| | - B Ellis
- EPSRC CDT in Digital Health and Care, University of Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - H Bould
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, United Kingdom; Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust, Centre for Academic Mental Health, University of Bristol, United Kingdom; MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - A S Attwood
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, United Kingdom; MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - I D Stephen
- NTU Psychology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - K R Brooks
- School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Australia
| | - I S Penton-Voak
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, United Kingdom; National Institute for Health Research Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and University of Bristol, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Sánchez CG, Ferrer SD, Cuellar JAA, Martín JLM, Ruiz SR. I Look at my whole body and i feel better: attentional bias, emotional and psychophysiological response by pure exposure treatment in women with obesity. Psychother Res 2022; 32:748-762. [PMID: 34983319 DOI: 10.1080/10503307.2021.2021310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity is one of the most important health problems nowadays. In addition to the direct physical consequences, it is also a risk factor in the development of psychological (Eating disorders, body dissatisfaction, depression, anxiety, etc.) and social problems. Among there, body dissatisfaction is key for development and maintenance of such problems. OBJECTIVE to deepen the effectiveness of the body exposure treatment, both in its pure form and guided modality in subjective, psychological and attentional levels in people with body dissatisfaction and obesity. METHODS Evaluations were carried out in a total of 16 women with obesity and body dissatisfaction at the beginning and end of 6 treatment sessions of pure exposure in front of the mirror. The changes experienced at the subjective level (questionnaires and subjective discomfort during the sessions) and psychophysiological (eye-tracking and heart rate) were analyzed. RESULTS Pure exposure treatment reduces negative thoughts and emotions towards the body itself, as well as the experienced discomfort towards the most conflictive parts. Selective attention to those parts of the body classified as uglier by the participants (especially the rear view of the body) show a decrease in physiological reactivity. CONCLUSIONS Pure exposure treatment seems to be effective in reducing subjective and psychological symptoms associated with body dissatisfaction in people with obesity, this technique could be considered a good choice for the treatment of body dissatisfaction. This step is essential to guarantee the long-term therapeutic success of any other treatment (nutritional or/and physical activity) in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cristina González Sánchez
- Faculty of Psychology, Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Sandra Díaz Ferrer
- Faculty of Psychology, Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | | | - José Luis Mata Martín
- Faculty of Psychology, Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Sonia Rodríguez Ruiz
- Faculty of Psychology, Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Body dissatisfaction, rumination and attentional disengagement toward computer-generated bodies. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-02180-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
|
7
|
De Coster L, Sánchez-Herrero P, López-Moreno J, Tajadura-Jiménez A. Use of a real-life practical context changes the relationship between implicit body representations and real body measurements. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14451. [PMID: 34262115 PMCID: PMC8280174 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93865-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
A mismatch exists between people's mental representations of their own body and their real body measurements, which may impact general well-being and health. We investigated whether this mismatch is reduced when contextualizing body size estimation in a real-life scenario. Using a reverse correlation paradigm, we constructed unbiased, data-driven visual depictions of participants' implicit body representations. Across three conditions-own abstract, ideal, and own concrete body-participants selected the body that looked most like their own, like the body they would like to have, or like the body they would use for online shopping. In the own concrete condition only, we found a significant correlation between perceived and real hip width, suggesting that the perceived/real body match only exists when body size estimation takes place in a practical context, although the negative correlation indicated inaccurate estimation. Further, participants who underestimated their body size or who had more negative attitudes towards their body weight showed a positive correlation between perceived and real body size in the own abstract condition. Finally, our results indicated that different body areas were implicated in the different conditions. These findings suggest that implicit body representations depend on situational and individual differences, which has clinical and practical implications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lize De Coster
- DEI Interactive Systems Group, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Avenida de la Universidad 30, Leganés, 28911, Spain.
| | | | - Jorge López-Moreno
- Seddi Labs, Madrid, Spain
- Multimodal Simulation Lab, Department of Computer Science and Architecture, Computer Systems and Languages, Statistics and Operative Investigation, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Tajadura-Jiménez
- DEI Interactive Systems Group, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Avenida de la Universidad 30, Leganés, 28911, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Opladen V, Vivell MB, Vocks S, Hartmann AS. Revisiting the Postulates of Etiological Models of Eating Disorders: Questioning Body Checking as a Longer-Term Maintaining Factor. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:795189. [PMID: 35095608 PMCID: PMC8792988 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.795189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Body checking (BC) is not only inherent to the maintenance of eating disorders but is also widespread among healthy females. According to etiological models, while BC serves as an affect-regulating behavior in the short term, in the longer term it is assumed to be disorder-maintaining and also produces more negative affect. The present study therefore aimed to empirically examine the proposed longer-term consequences of increased BC. In an online study, N = 167 women tracked their daily amount of BC over a total of 7 days: Following a 1-day baseline assessment of typical BC, participants were asked to check their bodies in an typical manner for 3 days and with a 3-fold increased frequency for 3-days. Before and after each BC episode, the impact of BC on affect, eating disorder symptoms, general pathology and endorsement of different functions of BC was assessed. Participants showed longer-term consequences of increased BC in terms of increased negative affect and general pathology, while eating disorder symptoms remained unaffected. In the case of typical BC, participants showed decreased general pathology and anxiety. Furthermore, the endorsement of a higher number of BC functions led to increased negative affect and an increased amount of typical BC. The findings support the theoretically assumed role of maladaptive BC in maintaining negative emotion in the longer term. However, though requiring replication, our finding of positive effects of typical BC calls into question the overall dysfunctionality of BC among non-clinical women who are not at risk of developing an eating disorder.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Opladen
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Maj-Britt Vivell
- Department of Psychology, Experimental Clinical Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Silja Vocks
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Institute of Psychology, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Andrea S Hartmann
- Department of Psychology, Experimental Clinical Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| |
Collapse
|