Body Satisfaction in Men

Grade Level at Time of Presentation

Senior

Major

Psychology

Minor

Clinical and Community Behavioral Health

Institution

Western Kentucky University

KY House District #

13

KY Senate District #

8

Department

Department of Psychology

Abstract

Abstract

This study focuses on factors that affect body satisfaction. Specifically, the study included looking at oneself and looking at other “ideal” people as the two factors that could impact a person’s body satisfaction. Only male participants were included as there is limited research on male body image when compared to the amount of research that exists on female body image. The research question this study seeks to answer is: does looking at oneself or looking at other “ideal” people, in this case muscular males, result in a larger change in body satisfaction for males. To conduct this study, two conditions were used to simulate the two factors concerning body satisfaction, looking at oneself and looking at other “ideal” people. The two conditions were the mirror condition, in which participants were instructed to look at themselves in a mirror for two minutes, and the images condition, in which participants watched an automatic slideshow including six different images, each shown twice, of muscular males that lasted for two minutes. At the beginning of the study, participants completed a packet containing demographic questions, the Body Assessment Scale, and a page of math problems that acted as a distractor. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the two conditions. Participating in one of the two conditions, mirror condition or images condition, was the next step in the study. After completing their assigned condition, participants filled out a second Body Assessment Scale. Data collection is ongoing, but will be completed shortly. Implications of the findings will be discussed.

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Body Satisfaction in Men

Abstract

This study focuses on factors that affect body satisfaction. Specifically, the study included looking at oneself and looking at other “ideal” people as the two factors that could impact a person’s body satisfaction. Only male participants were included as there is limited research on male body image when compared to the amount of research that exists on female body image. The research question this study seeks to answer is: does looking at oneself or looking at other “ideal” people, in this case muscular males, result in a larger change in body satisfaction for males. To conduct this study, two conditions were used to simulate the two factors concerning body satisfaction, looking at oneself and looking at other “ideal” people. The two conditions were the mirror condition, in which participants were instructed to look at themselves in a mirror for two minutes, and the images condition, in which participants watched an automatic slideshow including six different images, each shown twice, of muscular males that lasted for two minutes. At the beginning of the study, participants completed a packet containing demographic questions, the Body Assessment Scale, and a page of math problems that acted as a distractor. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the two conditions. Participating in one of the two conditions, mirror condition or images condition, was the next step in the study. After completing their assigned condition, participants filled out a second Body Assessment Scale. Data collection is ongoing, but will be completed shortly. Implications of the findings will be discussed.