Regular Article

Body dissatisfaction and the effects of perceptual exposure on body norms and ideals†

  1. Rebecca Glauert PhD1,*,
  2. Gillian Rhodes PhD1,
  3. Sue Byrne PhD1,
  4. Bernhard Fink PhD2,
  5. Karl Grammer PhD3

Article first published online: 29 DEC 2008

DOI: 10.1002/eat.20640

Issue

International Journal of Eating Disorders

International Journal of Eating Disorders

Volume 42, Issue 5, pages 443–452, July 2009

Additional Information

How to Cite

Glauert, R., Rhodes, G., Byrne, S., Fink, B. and Grammer, K. (2009), Body dissatisfaction and the effects of perceptual exposure on body norms and ideals. Int. J. Eat. Disord., 42: 443–452. doi: 10.1002/eat.20640

Author Information

  1. 1

    School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Perth

  2. 2

    Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Germany

  3. 3

    Department for Anthropology, Ludwig-Boltzmann-Institute for Urban Ethology, University of Vienna, Austria

*Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, 100 Roberts Road, Subiaco, Western Australia 6008, Australia

  1. †

    This research has been presented at the Appearance Matters Conference in Bath, United Kingdom, in June 2006.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 9 JUN 2009
  2. Article first published online: 29 DEC 2008
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 20 OCT 2008

Funded by

  • Australian Research Council
  • The University of Western Australia

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Keywords:

  • body dissatisfaction;
  • body normality;
  • body ideal;
  • experience;
  • exposure;
  • social comparison;
  • sociocultural attitudes

Abstract

Objective:

Body dissatisfaction is of high prevalence among women all over the Western world. It is often suggested that sociocultural processes are the main cause of such widespread dissatisfaction. Here, we consider how perceptual effects may influence ideas of body normality and body ideals.

Method:

Women who varied on a measure of body dissatisfaction rated a range of bodies for how normal and ideal they looked. They were exposed to either thin or fat bodies, and then they rerated the bodies.

Results:

Women's perceptions of body normality and ideal were easily malleable by exposure. In addition, greater body dissatisfaction and internalization of the thin Western ideal were related to (i) a smaller most normal and ideal body, (ii) a greater discrepancy between the most normal and most ideal-rated body, and (iii) a reduced effect of exposure to fat bodies.

Discussion:

Reduced updating of perceptions of body normality and body ideals in response to experience may be one mechanism that maintains body dissatisfaction. © 2008 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord, 2009

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