Body-related social pressure, victimization, and impression management in early adolescence
Abstract
According to Impression Management Theory (Leary & Kowalski, 1990), people are motivated to create a particular impression to affect how they are perceived, evaluated, and treated by others. Body appearance forms impressions. Perceived inability to create desired body impressions may lead to negative psychological outcomes, such as social physique anxiety (SPA). Motivation to present one’s body in a particular way, and perceived success in doing so, can be shaped by significant others through body-related pressures and victimization. The first purpose of this study was to examine profiles of such social cues in young adolescents. Targeted variables included perceived pressure to gain weight, lose weight, and gain muscle, and body-related victimization. The second purpose was to compare profile groups on impression construction (motivation for and behavior of impression-related PA and diet, and normative PA levels), outcome (SPA), and individual difference (Body Mass Index and relative pubertal status) variables. Surveys were administered to 503 eighth-graders. After excluding incomplete measurement (n=97) and those with multivariate outliers (n=8) there were a total of 398 participants. Body measurements were taken for BMI and pubertal status, and surveys tapped remaining variables. Profiles were obtained using hierarchical and subsequent non-hierarchical cluster analysis. Six profiles were identified: High Victimization, High Pressure, High Social Influence, Low Social Influence, Pressure to Get Bigger, and Pressure to Get Smaller. Girls were disproportionately represented in the Low Social Influence group, while boys were disproportionately represented in the High Pressure Group. Profile group differences on the outcome variables were tested using MANOVA and appropriate follow-up analyses. Profile differences generally supported Impression Management Theory. Participants in the High Social Influence group were among the highest in all body change strategies, normative levels of physical activity, SPA, and BMI, and participants in the Low Social Influence Group were among the lowest in these variables. There were no group differences on pubertal status. Findings suggest that pursuing a deeper understanding of the relationship between social influences and adolescents’ body change strategies, body-related psychological outcomes, and physical characteristics is warranted.
Degree
M.S.
Advisors
Smith, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Social psychology|Kinesiology|Physiological psychology
Off-Campus Purdue Users:
To access this dissertation, please log in to our
proxy server.