2021 Undergraduate Research Showcase
 

Title

Gender Differences in Factors Predicting Body Dissatisfaction: An Exploratory Study of College Students

Document Type

Student Presentation

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Presentation Date

4-23-2021

Faculty Sponsor

Dr. Mary Pritchard

Abstract

As individuals become young adults, body image concerns become more prevalent (Haynos et al., 2018). Research exhibits that 70-80% of young men and 80-90% of women demonstrate body dissatisfaction (Hobza & Rochlen, 2009; Neighbors & Sobal, 2007). These gender differences in body image may be caused by gender differences in self-objectification (Manago et al., 2015), appearance comparison (Yang et al., 2020), societal pressures (Menzel et al., 2010), and media internalization (Rodgers et al., 2020). The purpose of this study was to examine these gender differences in college students. 414 undergraduates completed a survey assessing these factors. Women expressed greater levels of self-objectification, appearance comparison, internalization of the thin ideal, and drive for thinness, whereas men expressed greater levels of internalization of the muscular ideal, and drive for muscularity. For men, drive for muscularity was predicted by internalization of the muscular ideal, peer pressure, and body shame, whereas for women, it was predicted by internalization of the muscular ideal and body shame only. Drive for thinness was predicted by internalization of the thin ideal, body shame, and media pressure in men, whereas in women it was predicted by body shame, internalization of the thin ideal, physical appearance comparison, body surveillance, and family pressure.

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