What Factors Affect Body Image in Children?

Body mapping is an attitude and reflection of physical characteristics, and is considered to be a core element in the development of self-concepts, which has a significant impact on actual social adaptation.

Chinese name: Body image

Applied discipline: psychology
Application range: Developmental psychology

Body image introduction

Body mapping, also translated as "body image", has an important impact on individual life and development, so it is extremely necessary to explore and study it. As early as a century ago, research on body image or body schema has been produced, and it has been in full swing in the past 20 years. Body mapping is an attitude and reflection of physical characteristics, and is considered to be a core element in the development of self-concepts, which has a significant impact on actual social adaptation.

Factors affecting body imaging

According to Bronfenbrenner's social ecological model, these factors are divided into four categories: microsystems (parents, companions, partners), external systems (media), macrosystems (social culture), and individual factors in the ecosystem. Will-explain.

Impact of body imaging microsystem on body imaging

According to Bronfenbrenner's theory, the microsystem refers to the surrounding environment in which the individual lives, which is the part that the individual directly contacts, and has a direct impact on the individual. Specifically, it includes parents, companions, and partners.

Parents. Parents, as guides in the process of individual growth, can influence children's physical image through demonstration, feedback and teaching. Fisher et al. (Quoted from Cash & Pruzinsky, 2002) proposed that the body image contains the parent's expectations of the fetus 'gender role and appearance. After the baby is born, if the appearance is similar to the parents' expectations, then the parents will like the baby very much Your emotional needs are met in an environment of love, gradually forming a sense of self-worth, and these feelings in turn become the basis for a safe body image. Conversely, if a parent makes a negative behavior or emotional response to the child's appearance, the child will form a negative body image. Perceived stress from parents is one of the factors most closely related to physical dissatisfaction and dietary concerns of individuals, especially children and adolescents (Ata, Ludden, & Lally, 2007), and an important form of these stresses is parental stress Reviews of your child's size, weight and diet. Rodgers, Paxton, and Chabrol (2009) studied 338 college students and found that for women, parents 'positive and negative comments are directly related to the subjects' physical satisfaction and dietary concerns, while for men, only negative comments are related to physical disability. Satisfaction is directly related, and parental comments affect the body image in whole or in part through social mediation or internalization.

In addition to verbal comments, parents' attitudes and behaviors also affect the body image of individuals. Today's young women of the young age are mostly the first generation who are very critical of their bodies. They have also paid great attention to their body shape since the birth of their daughters ( Cash & Pruzinsky, 2002). Mothers who are extremely fussy about their bodies, their daughters show more negative body imagery and a higher prevalence of bulimia, and use more harmful weight loss methods. Jaffe and Worobey (2006) examined how mothers' perceptions of body and obesity affect children's weight and diet, and found that mothers who feared their own overweight were more worried about their child's weight, although their fearful attitude could not predict their restrictions on children's diet Behavior, but it is enough to explain whether the mother's attitude to her own weight is scientific or not can affect her perception of the child's weight.

In short, parents' positive or negative reactions to their children, whether it is verbal comments or nonverbal attitudes and behaviors, will affect the development of children's body image. To be able to promote the formation of an individual's positive body image. Cash and Pruzinsky (2002) put forward requirements for parents, including being able to provide children with appropriate sensory stimuli, encouraging them to develop physical fitness, educating children to pay attention to their internal feelings, not mocking children's appearance at home, and guiding them critically Look at the media, teach children to define their own body image rather than others reflections, teach adolescents about physical changes (especially during puberty), be an example of healthy self-awareness, and so on.

Companion. The influence of peers on individuals is undoubtedly huge, especially for adolescents. The influence of peers on their body image is even greater than that of parents. The most obvious and direct way is the external feedback given by peers. A large number of studies (Halvarsson, Lunner, Westerberg, Anteson, & Sjöden. 2002) have found that individuals who have been criticized or ridiculed by their peers show lower physical satisfaction. The experience of being ridiculed by their peers has a general impact on general mental functioning and physical performance. Both imaging and eating disorders have a direct impact. The frequency and potency (positive / negative) of peer-reviewed external comments are related to physical image impairment and self-esteem (Herbozo & Thompson, 2006).

In addition to feedback, peer behavior also affects individual body image and eating behavior. One of them is bullying behavior. Engström and Norring (2002) research found that those girls who are more bullied are craving for thin bodies. The desire is stronger and the risk of eating disorders is greater. Research by Lunder, Frisén, and Hwang (2006) also found that in 10-year-old children, social exclusion of peers is related to their assessment of their appearance and weight. Compared with boys, girls who are bullied are more aware of how others view their appearance. Have lower physical self-esteem, as opposed to bullying behavior, peer social support. Individuals lacking social support networks may erroneously pursue perfect body shape to win everyone's acceptance, and it is easy to produce bad eating behavior. Peer support, then this social support can serve as an umbrella for individuals to resist the pressure of "thin ideal", thereby reducing physical dissatisfaction (Chen, Gao, & Jackson, 2007).

Another effect on body image is peer demonstrative behavior. Studies have shown that girls are more susceptible to peer demonstrative weight loss than boys (Cash & Pruzinsky, 2002). Paxton, Schutz, Wertheim, and Muir (1999) research on peer effects found that adolescent girls and their peers have similar body-mapped anxiety and dieting behaviors. Similar levels of eating disorders exist among college girl friends. Did peer groups form similar body-mapped attitudes and dieting behaviors, or did they form peer groups because they had similar body-mapped attitudes and dieting behaviors? Crandall (1988) studied the social infection of bulimia and found that Before joining a group, the members' eating behaviors were not related, but after living together for a period of time, a member's bulimia can be predicted by his friend's bulimia, which is of course the previous problem An answer, but more research support is needed, and further discussion can be resolved.

partner. There is a lot of time between partners to share and share experiences, so the perception and feedback of a partner's appearance will have a significant impact on their physical perception and relationship perception. After many years of marriage, an individual's self-awareness of his body image often reflects his or her understanding of a partner's perception of his appearance. Physical communication between partners can affect both parties' physical image. Ogden and Taylor (2000) have shown that men's negative body image is influenced by the wife's criticism of his body. A recent study of older couples in their 60s also found that the assessment of a husband s appearance is positively correlated with the assessment of his wife s appearance. The wife's evaluation of her husband is also positively related to her evaluation of her appearance (Oh & Dmhorst, 2009).

In addition to comments from partners, relationships with partners also affect body image. Physical satisfaction was positively related to relationship satisfaction. Because men value appearance attractiveness more than women, men's satisfaction with relationships is significantly related to their partner's size. If the relationship between the partners is not good, then women will feel a lot of pressure in order to restore the relationship and have to take action to submit to cultural and physical standards and try to make themselves look sexy. Morrison, Doss, and Perez (2009) found that after controlling women's values, the relationship between men and partners and their willingness to change the partner's body can predict women's diet, weight, and body concerns. Luo, William, and Edward (2005 ) Studies show that if Chinese women surpass their partners in height or socioeconomic status, both parties will be dissatisfied with their own appearance.

Impact of extra- body imaging systems

As an external system, newspapers, magazines, televisions, the Internet and other media media can be seen everywhere in life, and they have an important role in individual development. In body imaging research, the influence of media on body imaging is extremely important and one of the most studied directions. There are many kinds of theory such as social comparison theory, self-schema theory, self-difference theory, cultivation theory, and social cognitive theory (sarah, 2008; Yang Xiaoying, Chen Hong, 2006).

Skinny models on magazine covers, advertisements of weight-loss pills on TV, and popular fast weight-loss methods on the Internet ... Individuals inevitably face various kinds of body-related information on the media every day. The impact is also inevitable. Grabe, Ward, and Hyde (2008) conducted a meta-analysis of 49 experiments and 28 related studies. It was found that after viewing the thin and beautiful images in the media, women viewed average, overweight, or non-weight The image of a person is more dissatisfied with the body. Not only women who are pursuing fashion and beauty are easily affected by the media, but also men. The difference is that women are pursuing extreme slenderness and curvaceousness, while men are pursuing pores. Strong and muscular. Barlett, Vowels, and Saucier (2008) conducted a meta-analysis of 10 experiments and 15 related studies. The results show that there is a strong correlation between negative body imagery and the number of ideal male media images viewed. After viewing these images, the body image changes. Be more negative. However, media image has more than negative effects on individual body image. Research by Tiggemann, Polivey, and Hargreaves (2009) found that some women report positive and self-reinforcing effects after viewing slim images, because they imagine themselves Become a model.

How exactly does media play a role in body imaging? Many studies have examined the mediating or mediating variables in this process, the most studied of which are social comparisons (Tiggenmann & McGill, 2004) and the ideal level of internalization of the slimness promoted by the media (Yamamiya, Cash, Melnyk, Posava, & Posavac, 2005). Social comparison, as the name suggests, means that individuals compare themselves with the images on the media. Due to the large gap between them, negative body images will be produced. However, if individuals have self-improvement motives, the gap will instead be a kind of promotion and drive Individuals adopt measures such as exercise and dieting to improve their physical condition. At this time, the media's effect on body image is neutral or positive (Yang Xiaoying, Chen Hong, 2006). The study by Leahey and Crowther (2008) also found that the comparison target In addition, social comparisons can not only act as mediators or mediators of media influences, but many studies have also shown that they can also affect women s negative body images (Chen Hong et al., 2007; Jackson; & Chen, 2008c), individuals are more socially inclined and can predict a decrease in their physical self-esteem (Chen & Jackson, 2009). As for internalization, if an individual internalizes the wrong physical standards promoted by the media, it will The body is too demanding, physical satisfaction decreases, and a negative body image is formed. A study by Yamamiya et al. (2005) found that Women who want a high level of internalization are more likely to be affected by their body image. A longitudinal study has shown that lean ideal internalization in the initial state can predict changes in physical self-esteem after 9 months (Chen & Jackson, 2009).

Impact of body imaging macro system on body imaging

"The King of Chu has a thin waist, and the palace ladies starve to death." Today's Western culture emphasizes the "thin" ideal. With thinness as beauty, thinner people are more attractive (Myers & Crowther, 2007). A 2002 survey by the American Association of Eating Disorders showed. The average American woman is about 1.63 meters tall and weighs 63.5 kilograms, while the American model respected by culture has an average height of 1.80 meters and an average weight of 53.1 kilograms. It is obvious that this is valued by culture and reflected by models. For most people, it is difficult to meet the standard (Strahan, Wilson, Cressman, & Buote, 2006). The cultural emphasis on "slimness" has made dissatisfaction with the body extremely prevalent in Western societies, and has caused many social, psychological, and physical problems, including eating disorders, the use of illegal drugs, cosmetic surgery, dieting, low psychological well-being, obesity and Excessive exercise, etc., the appearance pressure caused by the domestic thin culture will also cause body imaging concerns in adolescents and adults (Jackson & Chen, 2008b).

And in some non-Western cultures. Some island nations in the South Pacific, for example, prefer larger bodies because they represent high status, power, and wealth (Polloek, 1995). Some studies have also shown that people in these cultures, especially the older generation, prefer larger body types. Even if they are young, they choose an ideal body shape and choose a fuller body shape than Western subjects (Craig , Halavatau, Comino, & Caterson, 1999). In some African cultures, young women are often sent to "massage houses" to prepare for future marriages. In these cultures, the incidence of physical dissatisfaction and eating disorders is much lower than in the West (Fu Dandan, 2009).

Interestingly, with the spread of culture, especially the development of society and economy, the pursuit of slimness and physical dissatisfaction have also appeared in some fat as beauty cultures (Becker, Gilman, & Burwell, 2005). Many studies have found an increase in socioeconomic status that can predict a preference for leaner body types (Tovée, Swami, Fumham, & Mangalparsad, 2006), not only in developed countries, but also in some developing countries such as China. Physical dissatisfaction is also becoming more common (Jackson & Chen, 2008a). To some extent, the problems related to body imagery are universal across cultures.

The research on individual body image in different countries and cultures is the current research hotspot, and it is found that cultural commonality and difference are the areas that need to be further explored in the future.

The influence of individual factors on body image on body image

In addition to the above-mentioned various factors, the individual's own physical and psychological factors will also affect the body image.

Body mass index. Body mass index (BMI) is an index used to measure the actual degree of obesity in the body, and is a physiological factor that affects body image. The calculation formula is BMI = weight / height. BMI can directly or indirectly affect an individual's body image (Chenct al, 2007) and is a powerful predictor of physical satisfaction. Increasing BMI is accompanied by many problems, such as decreased physical satisfaction, increased weight loss drive, decreased self-worth, and dieting behavior. Luo et al. (2005) examined many factors of body imaging concerns in Chinese adults and found that women's BMI and their The attractiveness of evaluation is U-shaped, that is, as the BMI increases, the attractiveness of self-evaluation decreases, and after BMI exceeds 25, the attractiveness of self-evaluation increases slightly with the increase of BMI; and the male BMI and its self-evaluation attractiveness It has an inverted U-shaped relationship, that is, when the BMI is at a medium level, the self-evaluation of men is the most attractive. In addition, when at a moderate level of BMI, women begin to develop the need to lose weight, and are more prominent among young people, urbanites, and educated people.

Personality. The relationship between personality and body image is one of the hot topics in recent years. One important aspect is the influence of perfectionism on body image. Perfectionists have characteristics such as "afraid of others' supervision", "unrealistic expectations" and "strong self-criticism", which make them prone to body imaging disorders. Some studies have examined the relationship between trait perfectionism and body imaging disorders. Relationships, discovering self-directed perfectionism (that is, asking for your own perfection), socially prescribed perfectionism (that is, thinking that others require your own perfection), attention to fault (that is, a negative reaction to fault, treating fault as failure), and Action skepticism (ie, uncertain about one's level of performance and accuracy), these increases are related to the increase in physical imaging disorders (Barsch, 2007), and Sherry et al. (2009) from the perspective of perfectionist presentation strategies Examining its relationship with body imaging disorders, it was found that perfectionist individuals act on body imaging disorders by hiding their imperfections.

In addition to body imaging disorders, perfectionism is also linked to eating disorders. Research by McGee, Hewitt, Sherry, Parkin, and Flett (2005) found that all dimensions of perfectionist self-presentation are related to eating disorder symptoms, and it can predict eating disorder symptoms of women who are not satisfied with their body, but cannot Predict diet problems for women who like their bodies and think there is no difference between actual and ideal appearance.

Another important personality characteristic related to body image is impulsivity. Impulsive individuals lack thought before acting, regardless of possible risk consequences. Studies have found that patients with anorexia are less impulsive than normal, and those with bulimia are more impulsive than normal (Claes, Vandereycken, & Vertonmaen, 2002). However, impulsivity is not a stable personality trait, and the relationship between it and eating disorders needs further exploration (Cassin & Ranson, 2005). If the individual's impulsivity can be manipulated, observe its body image on this basis The impact of dietary activities will help us understand the relationship between impulsive personality and body image.

negative emotions. Substantial evidence suggests that negative emotions are associated with physical dissatisfaction and eating disorders (Wildes, Simons, & Marcus, 2005), and that individual depression levels can influence dieting behaviors (Meno, Hannum, Espelage, & Douglas, 2008). The reason is that negative emotions can distort the process of information processing on the self and the world, making individuals pay more attention to physical characteristics and more easily detect appearance defects. Two longitudinal studies by Meno et al. (2008), Chen and Jackson (2008a, 2009) found that negative emotions can predict changes in eating disorder symptoms in girls and changes in boys' appearance and weight self-esteem.

Attachment type. Ward, Ramsay, and Treasure (2000) found that unsafe attachment was associated with dietary problems in both clinical and non-clinical samples. Cash, Theriault, and Annis (2003) studied the general adult attachment and romantic relationship attachment of college students, and found that in the general attachment type, safe attachment is positively related to physical satisfaction, and in romantic relationship attachment, anxiety attachment and body Satisfaction was negatively related, and avoidance attachment was not related to physical satisfaction. Research by Mikinley and Randa (2005) also found the relationship between specific attachment types and physical satisfaction for different subjects. The type of attachment to close friends can significantly and individually predict their physical satisfaction, while attachment to romantic partners cannot be separated. prediction. ^[1]