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Coping with Social Physique Anxiety in Adolescence
Abstract
To explore how adolescents cope with social physique anxiety.
Participants were 398 female (mean age of 15.4 years, SD = 1.3) and 223 male (mean age of 15.4 years, SD = 1.1) adolescents who provided open-ended responses to a self-identified situation in which they experienced social physique anxiety. A codebook of 24 dimensions was developed to code participants' coping strategies. Measures of state and trait social physique anxietyand coping function were also completed.
Females had significantly higher mean values than males on social physique anxiety scales and emotion-focused coping function. Females reported a total of 1051 strategies and males reported 473 coping strategies. The most commonly reported coping strategies were behavioral avoidance(reported by 41.5% of females and 33.2% of males), appearance management (39.9% females,24.4% males), social support (22.1% females, 17.1% males), cognitive avoidance (20.4% females,18.7% males), and acceptance (19.6% females, 29.0% males). Social physique anxiety in the self-identified situation was related to both trait social physique anxiety (r = .44, females; r = .36,males) and the number of strategies reported (r = .21, females; r = .23, males).
First, this study provides important insight into the wide range of cognitive and behavioral coping strategies adolescents use to manage social physique anxiety. Second, the development of the codebook that was necessary to code the adolescents' open-ended coping responses has the potential to act as a starting point as a taxonomy for coping in the body domain.
... exposure) and predominantly include female samples (Bailey et al., 2014;Kowalski et al., 2006). Detailed exploration of how male adolescents cope with body image threats is important as they experience negative body image distinct from their female counterparts (e.g., focused on muscularity rather than thinness; Ricciardelli & McCabe, 2003;Tatangelo & Ricciardelli, 2013). ...
... The two external threats (being judged by others and appearance pressures) are consistent with previous studies that identified threats associated with negative social evaluation, appearance-related messages, and body exposure (Kowalski et al., 2006;Lamarche et al., 2012;Sabiston et al., 2007). Although there were differences in the types of appearance-related pressures reported by male and female participants, both groups perceived pressure to achieve an ideal body. ...
... The coping themes identified in this study were consistent with those described by cognitive behavioral body image theory (Cash et al., 2005). For instance, the three coping functions that focused on changing the content of body image threats (changing one's body, countering the threat, and avoiding the threat) supported past research showing that young people use strategies to change or avoid their body and associated negative thoughts and feelings (Bailey et al., 2014;Kowalski et al., 2006;Lamarche et al., 2012). Participants were asked about positive ways of coping, and although some of the themes included behaviors associated with adaptive outcomes (e.g., self-care, positive self-talk, temporary distraction; Cash et al., 2005;Hartmann et al., 2015), unhealthy weight control behaviors and situational and experiential avoidance were also reported. ...
Adolescence involves significant developmental changes and challenges including heightened body image concerns. However, there is limited research on adaptive ways of responding to perceived threats to body image. This study uses body image flexibility, derived from contextual behavioral perspectives, and coping theories to explore young people’s responses to body image threats. High school and university students (12 male, 15 female) aged 12 to 24 years were recruited from educational institutions in a metropolitan area of Australia. Thematic analysis of semistructured interviews identified themes related to body image threats from internal and external sources. In response to these threats, young people reported coping by changing the content of, and how they related to, perceived threats, and seeking social support. In addition, young people viewed coping as a dynamic process that changed over time and across situations. Reported processes of attending to, and allowing, momentary negative experiences and connecting with other important life domains were consistent with body image flexibility. The coping context affected the selection of coping strategies, with body image flexibility facilitating more adaptive coping for some participants. Further investigation of contextual behavioral approaches, such as body image flexibility, could help to better understand and promote adaptive body image coping in youth.
... Much of the research on body image coping has focused on adolescents and young adult women. Adolescents discussed avoiding clothing stores or wearing bathing suits, trying to either enhance or detract attention from appearance, engaging in positive self-talk and making comparisons to inferior targets to cope with anxiety (4,5). With young adult women, similar coping strategies to adolescents were discussed (6,7) with the addition of some additional strategies, such as engaging in body care, religion/spirituality, and spending time alone (7). ...
... They admitted feeling envious of other women who appeared to handle uncomfortable social situations with ease or seemed unaffected by body-related distress. This was different from younger groups of women who did not describe attempting this as a strategy (4,5). Therefore, having a more body acceptancebased mindset was discussed as a future coping strategy they hoped to adopt but were not currently using to manage body-related distress. ...
... Enhancing physical appearance for women aged 55+ differed to some extent from younger women. Weight loss was still important (4)(5)(6)(7)(8), however, women aged 55+ engaged in regular appearance monitoring specific to their posture. Although this strategy could be used to improve physical appearance by desiring to look taller and thinner (i.e., by standing or sitting up straight), it may have also been a way to look younger and prevent negative associations with the aging body (i.e., appearing hunched over, frail). ...
Background: To date, most research surrounding body image coping has focused on adolescent and young adult women. However, with age-related changes to body appearance and function, it is important to understand how women aged 55+ cope in uncomfortable body image contexts.
Objectives: The present study explored how women aged 55+ coped with body-related situations that elicited body image discomfort.
Methods: Ten women from a seniors’ exercise program were interviewed about uncomfortable body image situations to explore their coping strategies. Thematic analysis was used to find themes amongst the data and interpret women’s experiences with regards to body-related distress and coping.
Results: Women discussed coping strategies that included: enhancing or hiding physical appearance; reassuring self-talk; social comparisons to others; and a desire to change their mindset to relieve body-related distress.
Conclusions: Although women aged 55+ discussed some unique strategies, there were several similarities with adolescent and young adult women. Thus, body image coping strategies appear to transcend the lifespan.
... SPA was originally conceptualized as a trait characteristic (Hart et al., 1989), and it is correlated with physical factors such as body fat, weight, and height (Cox, Lantz, & Mayhew, 1997;Crocker et al., 2000;Hart et al., 1989). But SPA is increasingly being examined at the state level (e.g., Kowalski Mack, Crocker, Niefer, & Fleming, 2006;Mack, Strong, Kowalski, & Crocker, 2007), suggesting it may also be conceptualized as an emotional state. Furthermore, trait and state SPA have been found to be moderately correlated (r = .44; ...
... Furthermore, trait and state SPA have been found to be moderately correlated (r = .44; Kowalski et al., 2006) in a sample of adolescents, suggesting that they are distinct, but related constructs. ...
... The objective of this study was to explore how adolescent female athletes cope with SPA within the context of sport. Although there are a number of studies that have looked at SPA in sport (e.g., Crocker et al., 2000;Hausenblas & Mack, 1999;Martin & Mack, 1996) and coping with SPA in non-sport populations (e.g., Kowalski et al., 2006;Sabiston, Sedgwick, Crocker, Kowalski, & Mack, 2007), to date little is known about the complex process of coping with SPA in the sport environment. Coping includes cognitive and behavioral efforts aimed at managing stressful situations (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). ...
In several sports, effective visual information pick-up has been shown to be crucial for successful goalkeeping. However, most of the studies that used video-based techniques, presented their participants with videos captured from a stationary camera view. In this study, we examined whether visual search behaviour and performance differ when presenting the stimuli with a moving camera view compared to a stationary camera view. To this end, we invited 15 skilled goalkeepers to watch video clips (from either a stationary or a moving camera perspective) of hockey penalty corners on a large screen, and to move a joystick in response to the actions observed. Visual gaze behaviour differed across the viewing conditions. Results suggest that in the moving camera condition visually tracking the ball resulted in visually 'overshooting' the stopping location of the ball (i.e., gaze tracking briefly continued beyond that stopping location), thereby leading to performance decrements. In contrast, shifting gaze towards the ball-and-stick location prior to ball release was a more beneficial strategy among skilled hockey goalkeepers.
... Research examining sex differences in social physique anxiety have demonstrated that women had significantly higher social physique anxiety score than men (Hart et al., 1989;Frederick & Morrison, 1996;Martin & Mack, 1996;Kowalski, Mack, Crocker, Niefer & Fleming, 2006). A number of previous studies have demonstrated that women generally exercise more for weight control and physical appearance/bodily concerns than do men (McDonald & Thompson, 1992;Tiggemann & Williamson, 2000). ...
... Consistent with past research in Western countries (Hart et al., 1989;Kowalski et al., 2006) and hypothesis of this study, women participants have been found to report higher social physique anxiety than men. Explanations of the consistent demonstrated sex differences have been linked to different cultural expectations of men and women with respect to body ideals (Hsu, 1989;Striegel-Moore, Silberstein & Rodin, 1989), and the fact that different images of men and women are disseminated and reinforced by media, such as images of strong, muscle-toned males and slender, underweight women (Davis, 1992). ...
... Improved functional capacity or interactions of these changes may help individuals to view their bodies more positively, and thus, reduce negative body cognitions (Blinde & McClung, 1997;Russell & Cox, 2003). In addition, findings of two recent researches (Kowalski et al., 2006;Sabiston, Sedgwick, Crocker, Kowalski & Mack, 2007) provided strong support for differences between sport participants (exercise and competitive) and non-exercisers, in terms of social physique anxiety. These two studies indicated that exercise is commonly used in coping strategies related to negative body perceptions, which affect social physique anxiety among adolescents. ...
An Examination of Social Physique Anxiety with Regard to Sex and Level of Sport Involvement
The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the difference in social physique anxiety among competitive athletes, exercisers and non-exercisers. The present study was also aimed to examine the sex differences in social physique anxiety between men and women. Two hundred and fifty-five exercisers, 261 competitive athletes and 350 non-exercisers voluntarily participated in this study. Social Physique Anxiety Scale (Hart, Leary and Rejeski, 1989) was used as the measure of social physique anxiety. Results of the present study indicated significant differences in social physique anxiety with regard to sex and level of sport involvement. Men had lower scores on social physique anxiety than women, and competitive athletes and exercisers had lower social physique anxiety scores than non-exercisers. Social physique anxiety of males and females did not differ with regard to level of sport involvement.
... In another qualitative study, Sabiston, Sedgwick, Crocker, Kowalski, and Mack (2007) interviewed adolescent girls and found that participants used behavioural and cognitive strategies such as avoidance, appearance management, physical activity, deflection, comparison to others, and social support networks to manage situations characterized by social physique anxiety. A study by Kowalski, Mack, Crocker, Niefer, and Fleming (2006) investigated written responses from adolescent girls and boys on how they coped with a self-identified situation thought to elicit social physique anxiety. Similar to Sabiston et al. (2007) they found behavioural avoidance, short-term appearance management, social support, cognitive avoidance, and acceptance were the most frequent coping strategies reported. ...
... Other than the research described above, the body image coping literature is limited. Thus far, the majority of the literature on body image coping has focused on the development and validation of the Body Image Coping Strategies Inventory (Cash et al., 2005) or has examined coping strategies in response to participant-identified situations primarily in adolescents (i.e., Kowalski et al., 2006;Sabiston et al., 2007). Identifying coping strategies to a specific type of body image threat, whereby participants are provided with a body image threat by the researcher, have yet to be experimentally investigated within the body image literature. ...
... Open-ended response formats have been shown to be useful in previous qualitative research examining body image coping www.ccsenet.org/ijps International Journal of Psychological Studies Vol. 6, No. 2;2014 (e.g., Kowalski et al., 2006) and was found useful for this project because participants were able to directly write strategies they would use rather than relying on interviews where more interpretation may be needed by the researcher. Participants were asked to (1) list all the ways they would manage the situation themselves (2) list any other things you think other women might do to manage the situation. ...
This study explored college women’s (N = 104) strategies for coping with a high- and low-social-evaluativebody image threat. Using an experimental design, participants read and imagined themselves in one of twoscenarios: a high-social-evaluative body image threat condition (modeling a swimsuit in front of friends) or alow-social-evaluative body image threat condition (modeling a swimsuit alone) and described strategies formanaging these situations. An inductive and deductive thematic approach was used to analyze the writtenresponses. In order of frequency, the following themes were found for the high-social-evaluative threat condition:avoidance, appeasement, positive rational acceptance, social support, and social comparison. In order offrequency for the low-social-evaluative condition the following themes were found: appeasement, positiverational acceptance, avoidance, social support, outsider’s opinion, and social comparison. Overall, maladaptivestrategies for managing body image stressors (avoidance and appeasement) were reported the most frequentlyacross conditions.
... Studies have shown that adolescents use both behavioral and cognitive avoidance of physical activity to cope with social physique anxiety, with girls also using more emotionfocused coping strategies (e.g., behavioral avoidance or appearance management) compared to boys [39,47]. Apart from leading to reduced physical activity levels, social physique anxiety is also directly linked to mental health and life satisfaction levels [48]. ...
... This has also been confirmed in previous research showing that a higher percentage of girls use behavioral avoidance to cope with social physique anxiety compared to boys. In turn, the percentage of boys using physical activity as a coping strategy was higher [47]. In addition, among boys, contrary to girls, a significant correlation between physical activity and perceived body attractiveness was found, indicating that physical activity may improve their physical self-perception [84]. ...
Background:
Physical activity has been shown to have a positive effect on life satisfaction in adolescents. Despite these benefits, physical activity levels constantly drop during adolescence, suggesting potential interfering factors in this link. Since worries about physical appearance are an important issue at this age, this study aims to examine the relationship between physical activity and life satisfaction in adolescents and explores possible moderating effects of social physique anxiety and sex.
Methods:
We used data from a longitudinal study with N = 864 vocational students (mean age = 17.87 years, range: 16-25, 43% female) from Switzerland. To test our hypotheses, we used multiple hierarchical regression analyses as well as simple slope analyses.
Results:
We did not find a significant direct effect of physical activity on life satisfaction. However, we found a significant two-way interaction between physical activity and social physique anxiety. An additional significant three-way interaction occurred, indicating that a positive effect of physical activity on life satisfaction holds only for female adolescents with low social physique anxiety levels.
Conclusions:
This study highlights the importance of developing a healthy relationship with one's body to fully benefit from physical activity, especially for female adolescents. Taken together, these results reveal important considerations for physical activity educators.
... An array of coping strategies have been identified to manage aversive SPA experiential states. These strategies can include behavioral and cognitive avoidance, appearance management, social support, dieting, physical activity, substance abuse, seeking of sexual attention, reappraisal, acceptance, and humor (Kowalski, Mack, Crocker, Niefer, & Fleming, 2006;Niefer, McDonough, & Kowalski, 2010;Sabiston et al., 2007). Interestingly, Kowalski et al. (2006) have reported that even though females typically experience higher levels of SPA than males, they typically have better emotion coping mechanisms for dealing with the affective experience. ...
... These strategies can include behavioral and cognitive avoidance, appearance management, social support, dieting, physical activity, substance abuse, seeking of sexual attention, reappraisal, acceptance, and humor (Kowalski, Mack, Crocker, Niefer, & Fleming, 2006;Niefer, McDonough, & Kowalski, 2010;Sabiston et al., 2007). Interestingly, Kowalski et al. (2006) have reported that even though females typically experience higher levels of SPA than males, they typically have better emotion coping mechanisms for dealing with the affective experience. ...
... However, what has been less clear is how these feelings of apprehension over the perceived negative evaluation of one's body impact physical activity experiences in contexts like physical education. Both exercising and exercise avoidance have been identified as strategies that individuals use to cope with the unpleasant feelings associated with SPA (Kowalski, Mack, Crocker, Niefer, & Fleming, 2006;Sabiston, Sedgwick, Crocker, Kowalski, & Mack, 2007). These findings help explain why SPA has demonstrated different relationship patterns with levels of physical activity across samples (see Sabiston et al., 2014). ...
... First, the small number of students in this profile suggests that it is difficult for students to obtain such a theoretically adaptive motivation pattern that includes low levels of both forms of controlling motivation and SPA. The higher proportion of male students in this profile is consistent with research showing that boys report experiencing lower SPA (Brunet & Sabiston, 2009;Kowalski et al., 2006;Smith, 2004) and higher autonomous motivation (Brunet & Sabiston, 2009). Although the gender distribution within profiles varied, we found a similar profile structure across gender through measurement invariance testing. ...
Previous research has used cluster analysis to examine how social physique anxiety (SPA) combines with motivation in physical education. This study utilized a more advanced analytic approach, latent profile analysis (LPA), to identify profiles of SPA and motivation regulations. Students in grades 9–12 (N = 298) completed questionnaires at two time points assessing SPA and motivation regulations, psychological needs, enjoyment, effort, and characteristics of physical education peers. LPA identified four profiles representing Autonomous (13.4%), Average (39.3%), Low Autonomous (25.2%), and Autonomous and Introjected (22.1%). Profiles were replicated at a second time point, and evidence of profile measurement invariance across gender was found. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) showed profile differences. The model-based analytic approach to identify profiles of SPA and motivation regulations differed from cluster analysis profiles. The profiles were not driven by SPA, rather autonomous motivation is the dominant factor associated with physical education motivational experiences.
... When avoidance of the sport and/or exercise situation is not feasible, there are reports that individuals high in SPA will manage the threatening context by covering up their physique to avoid potential evaluations by others. For example, adolescent girls reported wearing loose-fitting clothing in physical education classes and at the gym, and a common strategy at the beach or swimming pool is to cover a bathing suit and avoid exposing the body unless necessary (Kowalski, Mack, Crocker, Niefer, & Fleming, 2006;Sabiston et al., 2007). These behavioral avoidance and remedial actions to alter one's physique or appearance (and hence lower SPA experiences) are consistent with two prominent ways in which individuals manage their SPA experiences (Hart et al., 1989;Kowalski et al., 2006;Sabiston et al., 2007). ...
... For example, adolescent girls reported wearing loose-fitting clothing in physical education classes and at the gym, and a common strategy at the beach or swimming pool is to cover a bathing suit and avoid exposing the body unless necessary (Kowalski, Mack, Crocker, Niefer, & Fleming, 2006;Sabiston et al., 2007). These behavioral avoidance and remedial actions to alter one's physique or appearance (and hence lower SPA experiences) are consistent with two prominent ways in which individuals manage their SPA experiences (Hart et al., 1989;Kowalski et al., 2006;Sabiston et al., 2007). ...
Physical activity (PA) settings such as sport, exercise, and physical education are inherently social and evaluative in nature, with much attention directed at how the body looks and performs. As such, these settings foster a host of positive and negative emotional experiences. Social physique anxiety (SPA) is a commonly studied emotion that emanates from, or motivates, PA behaviors. In this synthesis of the 126 identified research papers focused on SPA and related experiences in sport, exercise, and physical education, we summarize the theoretical roots and measurement of SPA, present research evidence on predictors and outcomes of SPA experiences, explore links between SPA and PA behaviors, and offer insight on the future directions of SPA research. Specifically, researchers in sport and exercise psychology are encouraged to broaden the study of SPA to conduct longitudinal and experimental studies, develop quality intervention strategies aimed at reducing SPA experiences, and expand on the theoretical and operational understandings of SPA experiences across the lifespan.
... This is also in line with the proposal of a specific typology of GD occurring in isolated patients with social anxiety (Ko et al., 2023). Future research could examine the influence of possible intervening factors on the observed association between male sex, anxiety and GD, such as the experience of self and others' acceptance and acceptance by others (Shan et al., 2021), body image and social appearance anxiety, and coping attitudes (Kowalski et al., 2006;Lin et al., 2021;Turan et al., 2019), rejection and interpersonal sensitivity (N. R. Kim et al., 2016;Komori et al., 2019;A. ...
There is a lack of a synthesis of longitudinal studies that clarify the relationship between gaming disorder (GD) symptoms and mental health issues, psychological distress, and well-being.
To address this gap, we undertook a systematic review with meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. The study protocol was preregistered online on PROSPERO (CRD42023407665). We included studies analyzing the association between GD or problematic/pathological videogame use, and internalizing psychopathology (i.e., depression and anxiety), psychological distress (i.e., loneliness, stress), or well-being (i.e., life satisfaction, quality of life, well-being) over time. Studies that only measured gaming time or video game use, as well as treatment and experimental studies, were excluded. We rated the risk of bias (study quality) using the National Institutes of Health quality assessment tool for observational cohort studies. Research articles were searched in PsycInfo, PsycArticles, PubMed, and Web of Science up until December 29, 2022. 36 articles (N subjects = 34,288) were included in the qualitative synthesis whereas 30 were considered for the quantitative synthesis (meta-analysis) (N = 28,782). Six studies were excluded because they lacked sufficient data to compute partial correlations. Effect sizes (i.e., partial correlation) were pooled using random-effects models. Sensitivity analyses were carried out excluding studies rated as “poor” and Chinese studies.
Effect sizes for the association between GD and subsequent depression (n studies = 17, n subjects = 17,017, ρ = .077, 95% CI: .035, .118), emotional symptoms (i.e., a combination of internalizing symptoms) (n studies = 4, n subjects = 8,054, ρ = .083, 95% CI: .049, .116) and life satisfaction (n studies = 8, n subjects = 11,058, ρ = -.060, 95% CI: -.104, -.015) were weak but statistically significant. GD was not associated with subsequent anxiety (n studies = 9, n subjects = 7,149, ρ = .020, 95% CI: -.024, .064). On the other hand, depression (n studies = 18, n subjects = 17,756, ρ = .068, 95% CI: .020, .115), anxiety (n studies = 9, n subjects = 7,149, ρ = .076, 95% CI: .039, .113), emotional symptoms (n studies = 4, n subjects = 8,054, ρ = .075, 95% CI: .001, .148), life satisfaction (n studies = 8, n subjects = 11,058, ρ = -.053, 95% CI: -.080, -.025) and loneliness (n studies = 3, n subjects = 1,584, ρ = .096, 95% CI: .033, .160) were significantly associated with subsequent GD. Overall, sensitivity analyses supported the robustness of the results from the main analysis.
In conclusion, this study found reciprocal associations between GD and depression, GD and life satisfaction, and GD and mixed emotional symptoms over time, a longitudinal effect of anxiety on GD (but no evidence for the inverse), and of loneliness on GD. However, the causal nature and practical relevance remain uncertain because effect sizes were small and based on observational studies.
This research was supported by a Swiss Government Excellence Post-Doctoral Scholarship [2022.0033] awarded to the first author (SA).
Keywords: gaming disorder; addictive disorder; meta-analysis; longitudinal; development.
... Some studies suggest that PSA may increase with age during adolescence, as young people become more aware of their bodies and the opinions of their peers (Rosen et al., 2013). However, other studies like our study, find no significant relationship between age and PSA (Harter, 2012).. Also, there are some researchs that show PSA levels decrease with age (Brewer et al., 2004;Silva et al., 2022) even though higher levels of body dissatisfaction are found in older adolescents (Arriscado Alsina et al., 2021), body satisfaction being a mediating variable with PSA (Swami et al., 2021). The social and emotional changes that occur during adolescence suggest that these levels of ADS increase from pre-to mid-adolescence and decrease at the end of this period of vulnerability . ...
Physical and social anxiety (PSA) is an increasingly common syndrome among adolescents because of their vulnerability, leading to serious mental illness. It is closely related to the self-concept of body image. It varies according to gender, age, body mass index (BMI), physical shape, social context. Objective: The aim of this study is to find out how PSA affects Spanish physical education students, assessing possible differences according to gender. It also aims to discover whether there is a correlation between PSA and the age and BMI of the students. Methods: 306 students of Physical Education were questioned with a socio-demographic test and Physical-Social and Anxiety Scale (SPAS-7). Results: Significant associations were found between PSA and sex (p<0.01). Conclusions: PSA affects Spanish adolescent physical education students, with higher levels in girls than in boys. Public health policies are needed to reduce PSA at vulnerable ages and to implement gender policies to reduce the incidence, especially in females. Keywords: Education; physical and social anxiety; adolescents; body image.
... Meanwhile, shame is a painful personal emotion Lewis, 1971) that may not be foundational to online self-presentation when the experience of envy is also accounted for (Casale & Fioravanti, 2017). In fact, shame may motivate withdrawal and avoidance rather than explicit efforts to present oneself a certain way on social media (see Kowalski et al., 2006 andSabiston et al., 2007 for intense negative emotional experiences similar to appearance shame). As such, appearance-related envy may be a stronger correlate of online self-presentation. ...
Social media appearance preoccupation, which is measured by appearance comparisons, online self-presentation, and appearance-related activity on social media, is a timely construct to understand given the range of psychosocial outcomes tied to social media use. An integration of theories of self-conscious emotions, self-presentation, and social media was used to inform this study exploring appearance shame and envy as correlates of social media appearance preoccupation. Participants (n = 298; 65% women, Mage ± SD = 23.6 ± 3.6 years) completed an online self-report survey. Descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling were used to analyze the data. In the main model controlling for gender, age, body mass index, and time spent on social media, appearance envy and shame were associated with appearance comparisons on social media (R² = .54, p < .001). Appearance envy was also directly associated with online self-presentation (R² = .39, p < .001). The emotions were not significant correlates of appearance-related activity on social media. These findings were generally consistent for women and men, with women reporting higher levels of shame, envy, appearance comparison, online self-presentation, and time on social media compared to men. Based on these findings, strategies to reduce or manage appearance-related emotions of shame and envy are needed to protect from social media appearance preoccupation. With these efforts in place, the detrimental effects of social media use may be curbed.
... The association between SPA and ED has been justified by arguing that trying to modify body appearance as a means of avoiding unfavourable social evaluations could lead to the adoption of specific potentially problematic eating strategies (Kowalski et al., 2006;Lanfranchi et al., 2015). In particular, because adopting these strategies (which may initially include skipping some meals, using diuretics/laxatives, fasting, or following diets) often precede the onset of clinically significant ED (Greenhalgh, 2016;Stice, 2002). ...
The present study's aim was to summarize existing quantitative evidence linking social physique anxiety (SPA) and eating disorders (ED). Eligible studies were searched for up to June 2, 2022 in six databases: MEDLINE, Current Contents Connect, PsycINFO, Web of Science, SciELO, and Dissertations & Theses Global. Studies were considered eligible if they included information derived from self-report instruments that allowed for computing the relationship between SPA and ED. Pooled effect sizes (r) were computed using three-level meta-analytic models. Potential sources of heterogeneity were examined using univariable and multivariable meta-regressions. Influence analyses and a three-parameter selection model (3PSM) were used for the purpose of examining the robustness of the results and publication bias, respectively. Results summarizing 170 effect sizes from 69 studies (N = 41,257) showed two main groups of findings. Firstly, that SPA and ED were very largely related (i.e., r = .51). Secondly, that this relationship was stronger (i) among individuals from Western countries, and (ii) when ED scores concerned the diagnostic feature of bulimia/ anorexia nervosa involving body image disturbances. The present study adds to the current understanding of ED by suggesting that SPA is a maladaptive emotion with a potential role in the onset and maintenance of these group of pathologies.
... Cinsiyet değişkeni sosyal görünüş kaygısını etkileyen bir unsur olduğu için literatürde sosyal görünüş kaygısının cinsiyet değişkenine göre ele alındığı pek çok araştırma yapıldığı dikkati çekmektedir. 24,25,26,27 Araştırma verileri ile benzerlik sergileyen bir başka araştırma kapsamında farklı bölümlerde eğitim gören öğretmen adaylarının sosyal görünüş kaygılarının incelenmesi amaçlanmış, araştırmaya hem beden eğitimi öğretmen adayları hem de diğer eğitim alanlarında öğrenim gören öğretmen adayları katılmıştır. Araştırmanın sonunda erkek öğretmen adaylarının sosyal görünüş kaygılarının kadın öğretmen adaylarıyla karşılaştırıldığında daha yüksek olduğu belirlenmiştir. ...
Amaç: Bu araştırmada Covid-19 pandemisi sürecinde sporcu üniversite öğrencilerinin yeme farkındalığı ve sosyal görünüş kaygısı düzeylerinin çeşitli değişkenler açısından etkisinin incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Araştırma evrenini Adıyaman Üniversitesi’nde öğrenim gören sporcu üniversite öğrencileri oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmanın örneklem grubu ise 2020-2021 eğitim öğretim yılında Adıyaman Üniversitesi’nin Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Yüksekokulunun farklı bölümlerinde öğrenim gören 165 kadın ve 212 erkek olmak üzere 377 sporcu üniversite öğrencisinden oluşmaktadır. Araştırmada veri toplama aracı olarak yeme davranışı farkındalık seviyesini ölçmek için Yeme Farkındalığı Ölçeği (YFÖ30) ile Sosyal Görünüş Kaygısı Ölçeği (SGKÖ) kullanılmıştır. Bulgular: Sporcu öğrencilerin yeme farkındalığı ölçeği toplam puanı ile sosyal görünüş kaygısı ölçeği toplam puanı arasında ortanın üstünde pozitif yönde güçlü bir ilişki tespit edilmiştir. Sonuç: Genç erişkin bireylerde sağlığın korunması ve geliştirilmesi amacıyla yürütülen eğitim programlarında yeme farkındalığı uygulamalarının da göz önünde bulundurularak farklı diyet yaklaşımlarını içeren eğitimlerin de verilmesi gerektiği düşünülmektedir.
... In an extension of previous work in this area, the present study examined the motivational and affective states of exercisers during real rather than imagined exercise, in a controlled VR-based exercise setting. Based on findings that SPA is more prevalent in females than in males (Kowalski et al. 2006;Kruisselbrink et al. 2004), a female participant sample with varying levels of SPA was recruited. ...
Technologies such as virtual reality (VR), an immersive computer-based environment that induces a feeling of mental and physical presence, are becoming increasingly popular for promoting participation in exercise. The purpose of this study was to explore changes in motivation and other psychological states when the physique of an exercise companion was altered during a VR-based exercise task, and whether trait social physique anxiety (SPA) altered these effects. Using a mixed experimental design, female participants ( N = 43) categorised as high or low in SPA participated in two counterbalanced 10-min running tasks within a VR environment where the exercise companion was either overweight or in-shape. Across both running tasks, individuals with high SPA reported higher negative affect, pressure and tension, and lower perceived competencies, than those with low SPA. Pressure and tension were also higher when exercising with an in-shape companion than with an overweight companion for all participants. In addition, participants with high SPA reported a stronger preference to exercise with an overweight companion than those with low SPA in a real exercise setting, but not in a VR setting. The findings suggest that the physique of an exercise companion and the SPA of an exerciser have important, but independent, psychosocial effects during exercise. That an in-shape physique of a virtual exercise companion was not a deterrent among those with high SPA has provided preliminary evidence that VR-based exercise may be helpful among females who worry about their appearance or feel self-conscious while exercising.
... Avoidance is considered to be the primary behavioural tendency for coping with anxiety in general [18]. Remedial behaviour is regarded as a healthy behaviour to cope with SPA [19][20][21]. SPA also has a significant effect on dietary habits, which can influence physique presentation [7,22,23]. ...
The Social Physique Anxiety Scale (SPAS) is a popular measure of individual anxiety related to body image. This study assessed the psychometric properties of the 12-, 9-, 8- and 7-item versions of the SPAS. Two cross-sectional studies recruited 466 Chinese university students. Study 1 (n = 273) evaluated the construct validity and internal consistency of the SPAS. Study 2 (n = 193) further assessed the construct validity, factorial validity, internal consistency, convergent validity and divergent validity of the SPAS. The results indicated that none of the existing SPAS versions possess good psychometric properties suitable for the Chinese student population. In short, a new 7-item version of the SPAS that is more suitable for measuring social physique anxiety among Chinese university students. The implications of our results and future research directions are discussed.
... Furthermore, individuals who experience social physique anxiety tend to avoid scenarios where their physical body may be on display, such as in sport or exercise contexts (Pila, Solomon-Krakus, Egelton, & Sabiston, 2017). For example, adolescents primarily used behavioral avoidance to manage experiences of social physique anxiety in physical activity settings (Kowalski, Mack, Crocker, Niefer, & Fleming, 2006). Repeated experiences of social physique anxiety are negatively associated with physical activity in adolescence and adulthood . ...
Body image is an intrapersonal self-regulatory factor in physical activity behavior change and exercise and sport participation intentions, retention, and drop-out. Also, the self-regulation of behavior is thought to mitigate or perpetuate body image concerns. In this chapter, the bi-directional relationship between sport and exercise behaviors and body image is presented as a self-regulatory process that is primarily influenced by body-related self-conscious emotions, including shame, guilt, embarrassment, envy, and pride. Social physique anxiety is also described within a self-conscious emotion perspective.
... The CFQ consists of 18-items with a 5-point Likert scale ranging from "not at all" to "very much." Published reports have confirmed the validity and reliability of the CFQ (Kowalski & Crocker, 2001;Kowalski et al., 2006), which was corroborated in this study (problem-focused α = .72; emotion-focused α = .78, ...
Geographical regions possess distinct sporting cultures that can influence athletic development from a young age. The United States (US) and Austria both produce elite alpine ski racers, yet have distinct sport structures (i.e., funding, skiing prominence). In this exploratory study, we investigated sport outcomes and psychological profiles in adolescent alpine ski racers attending skill development academies in the US (N= 169) and Austria (N= 209). Sport participation and psychological questionnaires (mental toughness, perfectionism, grit, coping, burnout) were administered to athletes. In Austria, athletes participated in fewer extracurricular sports, began competing and training younger, and accumulated less practice hours than athletes in the US. Athletes in the US reported greater burnout than athletes in Austria. Finally, in the US, women accumulated more practice hours and experienced more parental pressure than men, while men accumulated more practice hours in Austria. Austria’s skiing-centric sport culture may encourage athletes to fully immerse into the sport, contributing to positive psychological outcomes. Reduced sport opportunities in the US beyond educational institutions may pressure athletes to practice more to ensure continued competitive skiing. Stressors for sport participation will be unique to gender in each country though, given their implicit gender stigmas for sport participation.
... For example, Sumter et al. (2009) found that observation by others that trigger concerns about physical appearance is associated with social avoidance among adolescents. Similarly, body dissatisfaction and social physique anxiety among adolescents have been shown to result in avoidant behavior (Grogan 1999;Kowalski et al. 2006). Furthermore, individuals who are more dissatisfied about their physical appearence are less likely to be involved in dating relations (Giles and Close 2008;Sheets and Ajmere 2005;Wiederman 2000) or sexual interactions such as sexting (Howard et al. 2019). ...
A vast number of research addressed dating involvement during emerging adulthood; however, few studies focused on romantic involvement among adolescents, especially from non-western cultural settings. In cultures, where relational aspects of the self is more pronounced, parental norms about dating and constructs related to social self-consciosness may play an important role in adolescents’ dating involvement. The aim of the present study was to test the predictive role of gender, parental attitutes about dating, social anxiety and social physique anxiety in Turkish adolescents’ dating involevement. Participants of the study were 172 middle adolescents (104 female), ages ranging from 15 to 18 (M = 16.93; SD = .72). A logistic model was fitted to the data to test the research hypothesis. According to the results, both social physique anxiety score and mothers’ dating attitudes were significant predictors of dating behavior, while gender, social anxiety and fathers’ dating attitudes yielded no significant results. Several goodness-of-fit measures suggested that the overall model predicts 26% to 37% of adolescents’ dating involvement.
... While high levels of PA may help reduce SPA, motivating individuals with high SPA requires sensitivity and respect for the anxiety reducing techniques used by such individuals such as wearing loose clothing and exercising in private, during off-peak gym hours [86], or in more comfortable environments (e.g., only women gyms). Shifting focus away from appearance benefits, and focusing instead on health benefits has been shown to be particularly helpful to this end [87,88]. ...
The present study investigated the potential moderating role of physical activity on the relationship between parental rejection and poor body image perceptions. Late adolescents and young adults from Turkey (N = 373; 256 females/117 males) reported their memories of upbringing (Egna Minnen Beträffande Uppfostran/EMBU) related to both their mother and father, respectively, levels of physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaires/IPAQ), and body image perception (Body Cathexis Scale/body dissatisfaction and Social Physique Anxiety Scale/SPAS). EMBU mother and father rejection scores were combined and dichotomized, placing participants into high and low rejection groups. Multiple analysis of covariance, controlling for gender and body mass index, showed that high parental rejection was associated with poorer overall body image perception (η2 = 0.09; η2 Body Dissatisfaction = 0.09; η2 SPAS = 0.04), whereas higher physical activity was linked to better body image perception η2 = 0.02; η2 Body Dissatisfaction = 0.04; η2 SPAS = 0.03). While level of physical activity did not mediate the negative relationship between parental rejection on body image perceptions, very physically active individuals recalling high parental rejection displayed body image perceptions similar to participants with low parental rejection. Thus, although higher parental rejection is related to poorer body image perception, interventions targeting regular physical activity may help buffer against these negative effects.
... Consistent with the literature, girls had significantly higher levels of SPA than boys (Davison & McCabe, 2006;Kowalski et al., 2006;Smith, 2004). In addition, the more participants perceived to be fat, the higher the SPA, irrespective of gender. ...
Social physique anxiety (SPA) is a subtype of social anxiety that relates to body concerns in social contexts and has been proposed as an indicator of psychosocial adjustment in adolescents. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship of SPA with a number psychosocial and behaviour variables in adolescents. A nationally representative sample of 3331 8th- and 10th-grade students completed a survey as a part of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. SPA was positively associated with poor health symptoms, larger body shape and being on a diet, while it was negatively associated with physical activity and social support. Girls, those who thought were much too fat and those who were or should be on a diet had higher SPA scores than their counterparts. Hierarchical regression analysis indicate that gender (β = .20), being on a diet (β = -.27), physical activity behaviour (β = -.06), body shape (β = -.14), psychological symptoms (β = .15) and parental (β = -.07) and peer communication (β = -.07) were significant predictors of SPA. No significant interactions with gender were significant. Interventions should help adolescents deal with the pressures of achieving a socially desirable body shape and weight, including selfacceptance and seeking appropriate social support.
... Literatürde baş etme ve sosyal görünüş kaygısı ile ilgili araştırmalar ele alındığında araştırma sonuçlarına benzer bulgulara rastlanmaktadır (Kowalski, Mack, Crocker, Niefer ve Fleming, 2006;Rudd ve Lennon, 2000;Sabiston, Sedgwick, Crocker, Kowalski ve Mack, 2007). Sabiston ve diğerleri (2007) ergen kızların sosyal görünüş kaygısıyla baş etme stratejilerini nitel bir araştırma ile ortaya koymuştur. ...
Z Bu araştırmanın amacı beliren yetişkinlik dönemindeki bireylerin demografik özelliklerinin, bağlanma stilleri ile sosyal görünüş kaygılarının beden imgesi baş etme stratejilerinin alt boyutları olan kaçınma, görünüşü düzeltme ve olumlu mantıksal kabul üzerindeki yordayıcı gücünü ortaya koymaktır. Araştırmanın çalışma grubunu 181 kadın (% 52.5), 164 erkek (% 47.5) toplam 345 üniversite öğrencisi oluşturmaktadır. Çalışma grubunun oluşturulmasında uygun örnekleme yönteminden yararlanılmıştır. Verilerin analizinde hiyerarşik regresyon analizi kullanılmıştır. Yapılan ön analizler verilerin hiyerarşik regresyon analizi için uygun olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. Verilerin analizinde modele sırasıyla demografik değişkenler, bağlanma stilleri ve sosyal görünüş kaygısı sokulmuştur. Elde edilen sonuçlara göre katılımcıların bağlanma stilleri ve sosyal görünüş kaygısı düzeyleri ile beden imgesi baş etme stratejileri arasında anlamlı korelasyonel ilişkiler ortaya çıkmıştır. Hiyerarşik regresyon analizi sonuçlarına göre ise modele birinci adımda sokulan cinsiyet ve yaş demografik değişkenlerinin modele katkısı anlamlı değilken, modele ikinci adımda sokulan bağlanma stillerinin modele katkısı anlamlıdır. Modele üçüncü adımda sokulan sosyal görünüş kaygısının ise tek başına modele katkısı anlamlı olarak bulunmuştur. Araştırma sonuçları bağlanma stillerinin görünüşü düzeltme ve kaçınma, sosyal görünüş kaygısının ise beden imgesi baş etme stratejilerinin tüm alt boyutlarının (kaçınma, görünüşü düzeltme ve olumlu mantıksal kabul) önemli yordayıcıları olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır. Kaygılı bağlanma ve sosyal görünüş kaygısı puanları yükseldikçe bireyin görünüşü düzeltme puanlarında da artış görülmektedir. Olumlu mantıksal kabul stratejisine yönelik olarak bağlanma stillerinin bu stratejiye herhangi bir katkısı yokken, bireylerin sosyal görünüş kaygısı puanları arttıkça olumlu mantıksal kabul puanlarında azalma görülmüştür. Kaçınma stratejisine yönelik olarak ise, kaygılı ve kaçınan bağlanma puanları yükseldikçe bireyin kaçınma stratejisi puanlarında da artış görülmektedir. Ayrıca katılımcıların sosyal görünüş kaygısı puanları arttıkça beden imgesi baş etme stratejilerinden kaçınma puanlarında da artış görülmektedir. Anahtar kelimeler: Bağlanma, beden imgesi, sosyal görünüş kaygısı, beliren yetişkinlik ABSTRACT Aim of current study is to reveal the predictive power of attachment styles and social appearance anxiety on body image coping strategies through emerging adulthood. For this purpose 345 university students-181 of them female-were chosen in their period of emerging adulthood. Hierarchical regression analysis was used analyzing the data which was found to be suitable for hierarchical regression via pre-analysis. Results
... Research on coping with body image concerns has primarily explored associations between coping strategies as measured by the Body Image Coping Strategies Inventory (Cash et al., 2005) and psychological variables in women or adolescents (Bailey, Lamarche, Gammage, & Sullivan, 2016;Choma, Shove, Busseri, Sadava, & Hosker, 2009;Hrabosky et al., 2009;Hughes & Gullone, 2011). Two qualitative studies have explored coping strategies to two situations differing in level of body evaluation in women (Bailey et al., 2014) and in a participant-identified situation of high social physique anxiety in adolescent girls and boys (Kowalski, Mack, Crocker, Niefer, & Fleming, 2006). One key finding across these qualitative studies is that people use a wider range of coping strategies, beyond those identified quantitatively, and that the nature of the situation may lead to different coping strategies. ...
... Research on coping with body image concerns has primarily explored associations between coping strategies as measured by the Body Image Coping Strategies Inventory (Cash et al., 2005) and psychological variables in women or adolescents (Bailey, Lamarche, Gammage, & Sullivan, 2016;Choma, Shove, Busseri, Sadava, & Hosker, 2009;Hrabosky et al., 2009;Hughes & Gullone, 2011). Two qualitative studies have explored coping strategies to two situations differing in level of body evaluation in women (Bailey et al., 2014) and in a participant-identified situation of high social physique anxiety in adolescent girls and boys (Kowalski, Mack, Crocker, Niefer, & Fleming, 2006). One key finding across these qualitative studies is that people use a wider range of coping strategies, beyond those identified quantitatively, and that the nature of the situation may lead to different coping strategies. ...
This study qualitatively explored the body image experiences of men attending university (N = 20). Participants were interviewed about comfortable and uncomfortable body-related situations. Participants also completed a measure of drive for muscularity. A thematic analysis was conducted. The results showed that the most commonly identified comfortable situation was the gym and was characterized by opportunities for positive social comparison and to wear physique-salient clothing to emphasize those positive comparisons and feelings of achievement. The gym and the beach were identified as the most common uncomfortable body-related situations characterized by a negative social comparison and associated negative thoughts and feelings related to the self and body, as well as situations involving the presence of women. Coping strategies included exercise and diet to change one’s appearance, avoidance, self-talk, and social support. Findings add to the growing understanding of the complexity of both negative and positive body image in men.
... Appearance management behaviors include many categories, such as bodybuilding, dieting, exercising, plastic surgery and substance-use, in order to enhance body image (Jones, & Crawford, 2005;Kowalski, Mack, Crocker, Niefer, & Fleming, 2006;Sabiston, Sedgwick, Crocker, Kowalski, & Mack, 2007). Appearance management behavior is significant among adolescents because behavioral patterns concerning appearance continue into adulthood, in addition to the money and time spent for their appearance during adolescence. ...
... This form of social anxiety is experienced in relation to the evaluation of body structure and appearance (Hart, Leary, & Rejeski, 1989). The association of SPA and body image concerns with serious health problems such as eating disorders (Haase, Prapavessis, & Glynn Owens, 2002;Kowalski, Mack, Crocker, Niefer, & Fleming, 2006) and dental health (Roşu, Dumitrescu, Dănilă, & Zetu, 2013) has been previously demonstrated, indicating a clear need for a better understanding of the physical and psychological correlates of SPA and body image dissatisfaction (BID) in female athletes. Although only a few studies have indicated a relation between personality and SPA, it was considered as a possible correlate in this study. ...
Sports and exercise settings as well as other socio-cultural environments emphasize a thin and physically fit female body. However, there is a clear need for a better understanding of the physical and psychological correlates of social physique anxiety and body image dissatisfaction in female athletes. This study aimed to examine the association of the social physique anxiety, body image satisfaction, and personality with the anthropometric measurements in female college athletes according to their sport type using the Co-Plot technique. The sample included 63 female athletes ranging in age from 18 to 26. Results of the Co-Plot analysis revealed a significant association among social physique anxiety, personality and anthropometric measurements. This means that certain physical measurements may lead to greater social physique anxiety and body image dissatisfaction in female athletes. It was found that females having higher levels of social physique anxiety and thus, lower levels of body image satisfaction may be less emotionally stable and more negatively perfectionist. In conclusion, the results of the present study provided evidence to the claim that both physical self-perception and anthropometric measurements may be closely associated with psychological criteria in female athletes.
... Coping can be defined as the cognitions, emotions, and behaviors used as adaptations for managing a situation perceived as potentially threatening (Folkman & Lazarus, 1988;Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). In the body image literature, an inventory developed by Cash, Santos, and Williams (2005), the Body Image Coping Strategies Inventory, has allowed researchers to systematically examine body image coping and associated outcomes (e.g., Choma et al., 2009;Kowalski, Mack, Crocker, Niefer, & Fleming, 2006;Sabiston, Sedgwick, Crocker, Kowalski, & Mack, 2007). Three specific categories of coping strategies have been identified: avoidance (attempts to elude threats to one's body by disengaging in potential body image threat situations), appearance fixing (efforts to change one's outer appearance by means of concealment or methods to correct features perceived to be flawed), and positive rational acceptance (mental and behavioral activities that emphasize the use of positive selfcare and rational self-talk). ...
We investigated the mediating role of body shame in the relationship between self-objectification and body image coping strategies in highly physically active university women. Bivariate correlations revealed body shame was positively related to self-objectification, appearance fixing, and avoidance coping but unrelated to positive rational acceptance. In addition, self-objectification was positively related to appearance fixing and avoidance coping but unrelated to positive rational acceptance. Mediation analyses showed that body shame partially mediated the relationship between self-objectification and avoidance and appearance fixing coping but did not mediate the relationship between self-objectification and positive rational acceptance. Future research should examine other potential mediators or moderators in this relationship and explore the role of positive body image framed within self-objectification theory.
... Despite positive rational acceptance coping being associated with positive body image and better overall psychosocial functioning, it is typically the least reported type of body image coping. For example, in qualitative studies conducted among adolescent girls, boys, and young college women, the most frequent types of coping were consistently avoidance and appearance fixing strategies (e.g., Bailey, Lamarche, & Gammage, 2014;Kowalski, Mack, Crocker, Niefer, & Fleming, 2006;Sabiston, Sedgwick, Crocker, Kowalski, & Mack, 2007;Smith-Jackson, Reel, & Thackeray, 2011). ...
... Several barriers to physical activity in children, adolescents, and youth are related to social physique anxiety (SPA), or the degree to which people become anxious when others observe or evaluate their physique (Hart et al. 1989). This anxiety (SPA) has been found to mainly affect male and female adolescents, though females report a greater amount of SPA and more coping mechanisms to deal with this anxiety (Kowalski et al. 2006). Adolescent girls have previously reported social situations such as being in school locker rooms or changing for gym class as a precursor to experiencing SPA (Sabiston et al. 2007 ). ...
The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between athletic clothing and physical activity in overweight children. The perceptions of athletic clothing among overweight children were also investigated. The researchers asked: (a) what are overweight children’s experiences with athletic clothing, (b) does clothing impact overweight children’s motivation to participate in physical activity, and (c) are there differences between boys and girls? Focus groups and individual interviews were conducted with 35 children between the ages of 9 and 14 who were considered overweight according to their body mass index. Literature on social physique anxiety and body image provided the conceptual framework for the study. Four key themes emerged from the children’s discussions of their experiences with athletic clothes and participation in physical activity: (a) body exposure concerns, (b) clothing size exposure concerns, (c) desire to quit because of athletic clothes, and (d) positive experiences with athletic clothes.
... Delving into gender differences, it has been shown that females are more concerned with self-presentation compared with males. Moreover, these differences were found to be consistent across age groups (e.g., Hagger and Stevenson 2010 [UK]; Kowalski et al. 2006 [Canada]; Zach and Netz 2007 [Israel]). Yet these studies did not delineate motives according to the kind of sport. ...
Despite scientific evidence regarding the benefits of strength training, participation rates in the general population, particularly among females, remain low. Physical education student teachers are a subset of the population whose aim is to educate the public about the paramount importance of physical activity, including the importance of strength training. This study aimed to explore physical education student teachers’ motives for participation in, knowledge of, and stereotypic perceptions regarding strength training, as well as their strength training habits. A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 204 male and female physical education student teachers from a physical education teachers college located in central Israel. Findings regarding training habits from the sample show that about 80 % of the females participating in strength training used light-moderately light resistance in their routine, while about half of the strength training males used light-moderately light resistance and half used heavier resistance. Regarding motives, muscular development was rated as the strongest motive among participants who did light-moderately light weights compared with participants who exercised with heavier weights. No significant gender differences were demonstrated. Strength training participants received higher scores in knowledge of strength training compared to non-strength training participants. The most promising result of this study is that more knowledge was associated with perceptions favoring strength training for both females and males. Still, physical education student teachers, especially males, as well as non-strength training females, held stereotypic perceptions regarding strength training and gender role expectations. Therefore, increased knowledge about strength training may prove to be helpful in decreasing these stereotypic perceptions.
... In order to cope with SPA in anxiety-provoking situations, adolescents implement a great variety of self-presentational strategies (Sabiston, Sedgwick, Crocker, Kowalski & Mack, 2007). However, behavioral avoidance seems to play a paramount role amongst these coping strategies (Kowalski, Mack, Crocker, Niefer, & Fleming, 2006;Sabiston et al., 2007). Researchers have shown that avoidance coping behaviors are also context dependent. ...
... According to Carron, Burke, and Prapavessis (2004), anxiety emanating from sources like competition, threat of physical harm, or self-presentation concerns, is reduced in the presence of others. Researchers who examined differences in SPA with regard to gender reported that females had consistently higher levels of SPA than did males, and that these differences were consistent across age groups (e.g., Hagger & Stevenson, 2010;Kowalski, Mack, Crocker, Niefer, & Fleming, 2006;Russell & Cox, 2003). ...
We examined the relationship between social physique anxiety (SPA) and physical activity (PA) in 3-generation families, and also looked at gender differences related to SPA and PA. Self-presentation concerns as related to PA were examined by means of SPA in a sample of 811 participants from 218 families and spanning 3 generations. Participants assessed their SPA and recorded their PA over 1 week. Gender differences in SPA appeared across 3 generations such that females had higher SPA levels than did males. Significant correlations appeared between girls and mothers, boys and fathers, husbands and wives, and fathers and their fathers. Nevertheless, PA level was found not to be related to SPA. As correlations were found between parents and their children across 3 generations, changing behavior should be targeted both in schools and in the community.
... Studies related to gender differences on SPA have been mostly conducted with adults and have mainly demonstrated that girls have a higher level of SPA than boys in different age groups (Chu, Bushman, Woodard, 2008;Eklund et al., 1997;Frederick & Morrison, 1996;Haase & Prapavessis, 1998;Kruisselbrink et al., 2004;Hart et al., 1989;Lantz et al., 1997;Mack, Strong, Kowalski, & Crocker, 2007), whereas there are also some studies related to specific adolescent age groups (e.g., Brunet & Sabiston, 2009;Haase & Prapavessis, 2001;Hagger et al., 2007;Kowalski et al., 2001;Mack et al., 2007;Smith, 2004;Thogersen-Ntoumani & Ntoumanis, 2006). However, there are few studies that have targeted the measurement of adolescents' SPA in PE settings Koca & As¸çı, 2006;Kowalski, Mack, Crocker, Niefer, & Fleming, 2006)-all of which have revealed that females tend to have elevated levels of SPA during adolescence in school settings, which supports our findings. ...
... Apart from physical exercise, other behavioral strategies, such as weight loss, cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking were also reported by adolescents for coping social physique anxiety (Kowalski, Mack, Crocker, Niefer, & Fleming, 2006;Sabiston et al., 2007). Moreover, it is plausible that physique-related perceptions (e.g., obesity, body dissatisfaction) could lead to social physique anxiety. ...
The purpose of this study was to investigate the link between exercise behavior and social physique anxiety (SPA) among adolescents, and also to understand the SPA-exercise behavior relationship for controlling the demographic, psychological and behavioral variables. The participants were recruited from 18 high schools in Taiwan. Eight classes in each school were selected by convenience. A total number of 4,230 adolescents aged from 12 to 19 (2,223 boys and 2,007 girls) were participated, and completed the measurement of demographic variables (age, gender, social economic status [SES], weight and height), exercise behavior, weight loss, smoking, drinking behaviors, and psychological variables (SPA scale, self-esteem scale, contour drawing rating scale, and teasing experience). A three-step forced entry multiple regression analysis was performed to determine how much of the variance in SPA was explained by exercise behavior and other variables. Examination of the regression coefficient showed that exercise behavior was a significant and negative factor of SPA, accounting for 2.4% of the variance in SPA. Demographic variables were entered for the next step, adding a further 14.7% of the variance. Exercise behavior was significantly related to SPA. When behavioral and psychological variables were added to the model, the variance increased to 20.1%. The final model revealed that except SES, all other variables were significant factors, explaining 37.2% of the variance in SPA. The exercise behavior-SPA relationship remained statistically significant even after multivariate adjustment. This study further explored the exercise behavior-SPA relationship with a broad range of variables. This study concludes that exercise behavior accounts for a significant amount of unique variance in the presence of demographic, psychological and behavioral variables.
Youth mental health is a global health priority due to its increasing prevalence and adverse outcomes. Although the relationship between metacognitions and anxiety is well-documented in adults, further research is needed for the younger populations. This research examines two questions: (a) What is the correlation between cognitive self-consciousness and anxiety in children and adolescents? (b) Is this correlation moderated by cultural and socioeconomic differences? Based on 22 effect sizes from 8,459 participants in 11 countries, a meta-analysis was performed to find the overall effect size, heterogeneity, publication bias, and the moderating effect of Hofstede’s four cultural dimensions and United Nation Development Programme’s (UNDP) Human Development Index (HDI). Using the random-effects model, the results revealed that cognitive self-consciousness ( r = .312, p < .0001, 95% confidence interval: [.257, .365]) showing moderate effect size in association with anxiety in children and adolescents. Meta-regressions indicated that power distance, masculinity, and HDI were important moderators. The findings show a significant correlation between cognitive self-consciousness and mental wellness in youth. The results have important implications for understanding the influence of cultural beliefs and national-level context on the associations between cognition and psychopathology. This article provides consistent evidence that there is a lack of mental health research resources in the Global South.
Background
Research on food addiction has increased significantly in recent years. It has been demonstrated that food addiction can lead to impairments in physiological, psychological, and social functioning in individuals. However, there is a lack of studies investigating the influence of how individuals handle social situations on food addiction and the specific mechanisms involved.
Method
A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 1,151 university students, with a mean age of 21.44 ( SD = 4.77) years. The sample comprised 74.46% female and 25.54% male students. Participants completed the Chinese version of the modified Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0, the Social Physique Anxiety Scale, the Expressive Suppression Scale, and the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 26.0 and the Process (Version 3.4) plug-in.
Result
The results of the study supported our hypothesis that the association between social physique anxiety and food addiction symptoms could be partially explained by expressive suppression and social avoidance and distress. This association remained significant even after adjusting for covariates such as gender, number of cigarettes smoked per day, bedtime, education, and BMI. Specifically, more severe social physique anxiety was found to be associated with frequent use of expressive suppression and social avoidance and distress, which in turn was associated with more severe food addiction symptoms.
Conclusion
This study explored the role of expression suppression and social avoidance and distress in the relationship between social physique anxiety and food addiction symptoms. The findings provide a theoretical basis for developing interventions for food addiction in college students. These interventions could include helping students develop a healthy perception of body image, encouraging emotional expression, and promoting active social participation to reduce food addiction symptoms.
Amaç: Çalışmamızın amacı, üniversite öğrencilerinin cinsiyetlerinin, yaşlarının, sınıflarının, spor yapma durumlarının ve spor dallarının sosyal fizik kaygısı üzerindeki etkilerini incelemektir. Gereç ve Yöntem: Çalışmanın araştırma grubunu farklı bölümlerde öğrenim gören 413 öğrenci oluşturmuştur. Araştırmaya sadece gönüllü olarak katılmak isteyen öğrenciler dahil edilmiştir. Araştırma verilerinin toplanmasında kişisel bilgi formu ve Sosyal Fizik Kaygı Envanteri kullanılmıştır. Oluşturulan anket formu, örneklem grubuna yüz yüze anket yöntemi kullanılarak doldurtulmuştur. Normal dağıldığı tespit edilen verilerin analizinde iki grup için Bağımsız Gruplarda T-Testi, üç ve üzeri gruplarda Tek Yönlü Anova analizinden faydalanılmıştır. Bulgular: Çalışmanın bulgularında cinsiyet, sınıf ve spor yapma durumu açısından sosyal fizik kaygısı düzeylerinde anlamlı fark olduğu görülürken (p0,05). Sonuç: Sonuç olarak kadınların, 1. sınıfta okuyanların ve spor yapmayanların sosyal fizik kaygısının yüksek olduğu belirlendi. Çalışmamızda bu durum kadınların duyguları daha fazla yaşamaları, 1. sınıfta olanların ergenlik çağlarında olmaları ve spor yapmayanların ise hareketsiz olmalarından kaynaklı kendilerini beğenmeme durumu ile açıklanmıştır. Bu sonuçlar aktif yaşam açısından ele alındığında, sporun öğrencilerin sosyal-fiziksel kaygı düzeyleri üzerinde etkili olduğunu, diğer bir deyişle kaygılarını azalttığını göstermektedir.
Background/objective
Social physique anxiety (SPA) is a prevalent psychological issue among emerging adults, regardless of gender. Many studies have shown that high levels of SPA are associated with various negative consequences on both physical and mental well-being. Considering the potential severity of SPA’s consequences and its high prevalence among emerging adults, it is imperative to investigate the factors and mechanisms that contribute to SPA in this population. Although prior studies have identified associations between emerging adulthood, digital media use, and SPA in young individuals, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The objective of this study is to examine the associations between SPA, emerging adulthood characteristics, digital media dependency, and exercise empowerment.
Methods
In this cross-sectional study, Chinese college students were recruited using snowball sampling. The study utilized an online survey to assess SPA, emerging adulthood characteristics, digital media dependency, and exercise empowerment. The collected data was analyzed using path analysis.
Results
A total of 1,661 Chinese college students (mean age = 19.63 ± 0.32 years, 44.97% male) were included in this study. The results showed that SPA exhibited positive correlations with responsibility and instability in emerging adulthood characteristics, digital media dependency, and exercise empowerment. Additionally, digital media dependency showed positive correlations with responsibility and instability, as well as with exercise empowerment. Furthermore, exercise empowerment demonstrated positive correlations with self-exploration, responsibility, instability, and possibilities in emerging adulthood characteristics. SPA can be directly influenced by digital media dependency, self-exploration, and instability. Furthermore, digital media dependency has a positive indirect impact on SPA through exercise empowerment. Similarly, self-exploration also has a positive indirect impact on SPA through exercise empowerment. On the other hand, instability has a negative indirect impact on SPA through exercise empowerment.
Conclusion
This study provides new insights into the complex correlations with emerging adulthood characteristics, digital media dependency, exercise empowerment, and SPA. Instability, self-exploration in emerging adulthood characteristics, as well as digital media dependency, have the potential to influence SPA among college students through exercise empowerment Interventions and strategies aimed at addressing these psychological factors may prove beneficial in reducing SPA among emerging adults, especially college students.
The multidimensional and hierarchical nature of conceptualizations of self-concept and self-esteem has been extensively examined in sport and exercise settings. Evidence indicates that individuals’ sense of self is both influenced by their engagement in physical activity and also influences the nature of their physical activity engagements as well. Self-presentational imperatives abound in sport and exercise activity wherein individuals strive to monitor and control the impressions formed by others to suit their interests and what they hold to be true about themselves. Self-presentational processes have a powerful impact upon individuals’ cognitions, emotions, and behaviors in sport and exercise settings. The powerful motivational impacts of self-conscious emotions (e.g., anxiety, shame, guilt, envy, pride) that can arise in physical activity settings are a direct result of self-oriented evaluative and reflective processes. Finally, this chapter concludes with the acknowledgment that the sense of self is a cultural developmental enterprise. Subjective answers to questions such as “Who am I?” and “How do I relate to others?“often reflect cultural imperatives about what it means to be a good person. Therefore, people from individualist and collectivist cultures hold different construals of the self which are also reflected in various self-related judgments in the domain of sport.KeywordsSelf-conceptSelf-esteemMultidimensional selfHierarchical selfPhysical self-conceptPhysical self-perceptionsSkill development hypothesisSelf-development hypothesisSelf-presentationSelf-conscious emotionsAnticipated emotionsCultureInterdependent self-construalIndependent self-construal
Studies have suggested that body image is associated with dating anxiety, but are limited by small sample sizes, singular operationalisations of body image, and a lack of consideration of the concurrent effects of social physique anxiety. To overcome these gaps in the literature, we asked an online sample of 501 heterosexual emerging adults from the United Kingdom (age M = 21.16, 50.3% women) to complete measures of multidimensional body image, social physique anxiety, and dating anxiety. Correlational analyses indicated that more negative body image and social physique anxiety were both significantly associated with greater dating anxiety. However, in hierarchical regressions, the variance accounted for by body image variables was largely non-significant and weak after accounting for the effects of social physique anxiety. In exploratory analyses, we found that social physique anxiety mediated the relationship between the body image facet of appearance orientation and dating anxiety. These results highlight the importance of developing targeted interventions to reduce social physique anxiety and unhealthy appearance orientation in heterosocial dating contexts.
Purpose
Appropriate hand hygiene technique is a simple and effective method to reduce cross contamination and transmission of foodborne pathogens. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the frequency of hand hygiene activities among food handlers and consumers in fast food restaurants (FFRs).
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 25 FFRs and cafes were visited between May and August 2017 in North West England. A hand hygiene observational tool was adapted and modified from previous studies. The observational tool was designed to record 30 sequential hand activities of consumers and employees. Each transaction consisted of an observed action (e.g. touch with bare hands), object (e.g. exposed ready-to-eat (RTE) foods) and observed hand hygiene practice (e.g. handwashing or cleaning with wipes or sanitisers). Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) swabs of hand-contact surfaces of restaurants’ restrooms were carried out.
Findings
Findings revealed that both food handlers and consumers have low-hand hygiene compliance rate in FFRs. Consumers were more likely to clean their hands with napkins after handling exposed RTE food. Food handlers were observed to change into new gloves without washing their hands before handling exposed RTE food. The mean results for all hand-contact surfaces in restrooms were higher than 30 Relative Light Units indicating unhygienic surfaces. Male restroom exit doors’ ATP levels were significantly higher than females.
Originality/value
This study revealed the lack of hand hygiene practices among food handlers and consumers at FFRs and cafes. Restroom hand-contact surfaces revealed high ATP level indicating unhygienic surfaces. This can potentially re-contaminate washed hands upon touching unhygienic surface (e.g. exit door panel/handle) when leaving the restroom.
Common characteristics of the dance environment, including mirrored settings, tight-fitted clothing, and evaluation by others create an atmosphere that can negatively influence a ballet dancer’s body image and act as a barrier to participation (Radell, Adame, Cole, & Blumenkehl, 2011; Tiggemann & Slater, 2001). Thus, it is important to identify resources that can buffer against negative self-perceptions in an evaluative dance environment. The purpose of this study was to explore self-compassion in relation to self-evaluative thoughts and behaviours in an evaluative ballet environment. Participants (N = 57 women undergraduate students; Mage = 20.59 years, SD = 3.81) completed an online questionnaire containing measures of self-compassion, social physique anxiety (trait and state versions), fear of negative evaluation (trait and state versions), as well as reactions, thoughts, and emotions to a hypothetical first day of beginner ballet class scenario consistent with the common characteristics of the dance environment. Self-compassion was negatively related to trait and state social physique anxiety, trait and state fear of negative evaluation, total negative affect, personalizing thoughts, and catastrophizing thoughts, as well as positively associated with behavioural equanimity and thoughts of equanimity. Finding self-compassion to be associated with lower neegative self-perceptions within the context of an evaluative beginner ballet class replicates past correlational research and advances the literature by contextualizing self-compassion to a specific evaluative environment.
Background and objective: Obesity is one of the problems that threaten the public health. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between anthropometric characteristics with social physique anxiety (SPA) in Alzahra University Staff.
Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study, 135 female staff of Alzahra University participated in this study. Motl and Conroy 7-item Social physique questionnaire was used in this study. Anthropometric characteristics were assessed with Body Analyzer. Data was analyzed with Pearson correlation using SPSS16 (p < 0.05).
Results: Pearson correlation showed a significant positive correlation between body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-hip ratio (WHR), body fat mass with social physique anxiety.
Conclusion: There was a positive relationship between anthropometric characteristics with social physique anxiety among Alzahra University Staff. Therefore, obesity is considered an important factor in increasing social physique anxiety.
Paper Type: Research Article.
Este estudio cualitativo analiza la ansiedad física social (AFS) que experimentan las chicas adolescentes en el contexto de las clases de natación que se desarrollan en educación física (EF), profundizando en sus factores explicativos así como en las estrategias de afrontamiento (coping) utilizadas. Para ello se ha realizado un estudio de caso en un centro escolar mediante 12 entrevistas semiestructuradas a chicas adolescentes y al profesorado que les imparte clase de natación junto con la observación de las clases. Los datos se han categorizado mediante un análisis de contenido cualitativo y triangulación. Los resultados señalan que la AFS es una emoción que muchas chicas experimentan en las clases de natación debido a que el cuerpo queda expuesto a las miradas evaluativas de los demás, especialmente de los chicos. El contexto social de las clases se revela como clave ya que sufrir críticas o burlas en relación a la apariencia física por parte de los compañeros/as es uno de los factores causales de la AFS, mientras que el apoyo y aceptación social contribuyen a minimizarla. Las consecuencias de este malestar derivan en estrategias de coping orientadas a: la resolución de problemas adoptando conductas específicas para ocultar el cuerpo; el manejo de las emociones, autoconvenciéndose de que es una situación normal; e incluso, la evitación de la situación negándose a participar en las clases. Para proporcionar a las chicas una experiencia positiva de la EF, el profesorado debería considerar esta problemática en la enseñanza de este contenido.
The present paper examined the interplay between key motivational and self-regulatory processes, namely passion and coping strategies, and their relation with anxiety in the sport domain. Two studies with a combined 348 athletes were conducted in order to test a model whereby two types of passion were differentially related to anxiety through the use of different coping strategies. Overall, results supported our hypotheses by demonstrating that harmonious passion was associated to approach-oriented coping strategies which, in turn, were related to less anxiety. In contrast, obsessive passion was positively related to avoidance-oriented coping strategies which, in turn, were associated with more anxiety. This paper identifies coping strategies as a mediator in the relation between passion and anxiety, thus providing further support for the study of the relation between motivational and self-regulatory processes in order to better understand athletes' psychological adjustment in sport.
The involvement of adolescents presenting high levels of social physique anxiety (SPA) in sport practice has been hypothesized as potentially problematic in terms of being associated with disturbed eating attitudes and behaviors (DEAB). Indeed, sport practice itself has been reported to be associated with higher levels of SPA and DEAB, and sport settings may sometimes promote unhealthy life habits. Nevertheless, current studies are few and present several limitations.
The objective of the present study was to examine these relationships among adolescents involved or not in various types (i.e., leanness and individual) and contexts (i.e., organized and competitive) of sport practice.
The sample included 766 French adolescents (337 boys and 429 girls), aged between 11 and 18 years, involved (n = 335) or not (n = 431) in sport practice. SPA and DEAB were assessed using French adaptations of the SPA scale and the Eating Attitudes Test-26.
The results reveal a significant and positive association between SPA and the DEAB scales. Furthermore, they show a positive relationship between SPA and (a) vomiting-purging behaviors in adolescents involved in individual sports and (b) generic DEAB (i.e., a subscale covering fear of getting fat, food preoccupation, and eating-related guilt), particularly in adolescents involved in individual sports.
The relationship between SPA and DEAB does not differ according to adolescents' involvement in sport practice or according to their involvement in organized, competitive, or leanness sport practice more specifically. However, higher levels of SPA and DEAB were observed in adolescents involved in individual sports.
Four studies on the psychometric properties of the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) are reported. Study 1 examined the factor structure of the CISS in samples of 832 college students and 483 adults. Strong support was found for the multidimensionality of the CISS, suggesting that the scale independently assesses 3 basic dimensions: task-, emotion-, and avoidance-oriented coping. Study 2 further investigated the construct validity of the CISS by comparing it with 2 measures of basic coping styles. Study 3 also examined the construct validity of the CISS by comparing it with various measures of psychopathology. Study 4 investigated the concurrent validity of the CISS by studying the relationship between coping style (assessed by the CISS) and situation-specific coping responses used in 2 different stressful situations. Overall, the results of the 4 studies suggest that the CISS is a valid and reliable measure of basic coping styles.
We used meta-analysis to examine recent studies of sex differences in coping. Women were more likely than men to engage in most coping strategies. The strongest effects showed that women were more likely to use strategies that involved verbal expressions to others or the self—to seek emotional support, ruminate about problems, and use positive self-talk. These sex differences were consistent across studies, supporting a dispositional level hypothesis. Other sex differences were dependent on the nature of the stressor, supporting role constraint theory. We also examined whether stressor appraisal (i.e., women's tendencies to appraise stressors as more severe) accountedfor sex differences in coping. We found some support for this idea. To circumvent this issue, we provide some data on relative coping. These data demonstrate that sex differences in relative coping are more in line with our intuitions about the differences in the ways men and women cope with distress.
This study investigated the changes in and the relationships among body mass index (BMI), global self-esteem, physical self-perceptions, social physique anxiety (SPA), physical activity, and dietary restraint in adolescent females over a 24-month period. Participants (N = 501) completed annual assessments in grade 9, 10, and 11. The results showed moderate covariance stability in all variables. There were several significant time effects (group mean change), with small increases in BMI, moderate decreases in physical activity, and very small changes over time in SPA and physical self-perceptions. Longitudinal analyses indicated that specific physical self-perceptions were important predictors of physical activity, dietary restraint and SPA; however, most of the variance was explained by previous year values. Evidence of bidirectional effects revealed that specific self-perceptions impact specific behaviors and SPA more so than the impact of behavior/emotion on self-perceptions. These results highlight the importance of understanding the physical self and its links to health-related behaviors and emotion in adolescents.
Reports 4 studies on the psychometric properties of the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS). Study 1 examined the factor structure of the CISS in samples of 832 college students and 483 adults. Strong support was found for the multidimensionality of the CISS, suggesting that the scale independently assesses 3 basic dimensions: task-, emotion-, and avoidance-oriented coping. Study 2 further investigated the construct validity of the CISS by comparing it with 2 measures of basic coping styles. Study 3 also examined the construct validity of the CISS by comparing it with various measures of psychopathology. Study 4 investigated the concurrent validity of the CISS by studying the relationship between coping style (assessed by the CISS) and situation-specific coping responses used in 2 different stressful situations. Overall, the results of the 4 studies suggest that the CISS is a valid and reliable measure of basic coping styles. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This study extends current models of self-regulated learning by addressing 3 research questions, including what strategies do students use to regulate their motivation? is the use of these strategies dependent on contextual factors? how is motivational regulation related to other aspects of self-regulated learning and achievement? Self-report data were collected from 115 college students by using an open-ended questionnaire and Likert-style survey. Findings provide evidence that students regulate their level of effort in academic tasks by using a variety of cognitive, volitional, and motivational strategies; that students' reported use of these strategies varied across the 3 motivational problems with which they were presented; and that different aspects of students' motivational regulation were related positively to their goal orientation, use of some cognitive strategies, and course grade. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
in our discussion of emotion and dysfunction, we have intimated that emotions are instructive about persons because both emotions and the personality are organized around the problem of surviving, getting along, and flourishing over the life course
begin by addressing the question of what an emotion is / describe our own [the authors'] recent work directed at illuminating what we see as one of the important issues in emotion theory—the role of cognitive appraisal
embed this work in a general model of emotion, which identifies the key variables and processes within a systems framework emphasizing person-environment relationships and cognitive mediation
illustrate how emotion theory makes firm contact with a variety of topics currently being pursued across diverse psychological disciplines, especially personality and social psychology
the adaptational problem and the evolution of emotion / appraisal theory / personality, society, and biology in emotion (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Two studies report the development and validation of the Coping Function Questionnaire (CFQ) for adolescent sport participants. The purpose of the 1st study was to develop the CFQ and conduct preliminary item and scale analyses. 126 13–18 yr old student athletes participated in this study. The result was an 18-item CFQ, which assessed problem-focused, emotion-focused, and avoidance coping function. In the 2nd study, confirmatory factor analysis with data from 344 male and 339 female adolescent sport participants (aged 13–19 yrs) show the CFQ measurement model to be acceptable for both genders. Simultaneous group analysis demonstrate gender invariance for the CFQ measurement model. Convergent and divergent validity was supported by correlations between the CFQ and select coping scales from the COPE, the sport-modified COPE, and Life Situations Inventory. It is concluded that the CFQ appears to be a promising step toward measurement of coping function in adolescent sport samples. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Constructed a taxonomy of children's coping strategies by reviewing 16 studies of children's stress coping strategies published between 1980 and 1990. The resultant taxonomy could be described as natural, in that the coping strategies were grouped according to some characteristic that is fundamental to the coping strategies and cannot be changed. Definitions of each category were based on the fundamental characteristics of the underlying coping strategies. The taxonomy is nonhierarchical in that the categories are not more and more inclusive but are mutually exclusive.
We developed a multidimensional coping inventory to assess the different ways in which people respond to stress. Five scales (of four items each) measure conceptually distinct aspects of problem-focused coping (active coping, planning, suppression of competing activities, restraint coping, seeking of instrumental social support); five scales measure aspects of what might be viewed as emotional-focused coping (seeking of emotional social support, positive reinterpretation, acceptance, denial, turning to religion); and three scales measure coping responses that arguably are less useful (focus on and venting of emotions, behavioral disengagement, mental disengagement). Study 1 reports the development of scale items. Study 2 reports correlations between the various coping scales and several theoretically relevant personality measures in an effort to provide preliminary information about the inventory's convergent and discriminant validity. Study 3 uses the inventory to assess coping responses among a group of undergraduates who were attempting to cope with a specific stressful episode. This study also allowed an initial examination of associations between dispositional and situational coping tendencies.
There is widespread conviction among health care professionals that coping affects emotion. Yet theory and research have traditionally emphasized the effects of emotion on coping. The present research addresses this imbalance by evaluating the extent to which coping mediated emotions during stressful encounters in two Caucasian, community-residing samples. Subjects' recently experienced stressful encounters, the ways they coped with the demands of those encounters, and the emotions they experienced during two stages of those encounters were assessed repeatedly. The extent to which eight forms of coping mediated each of four sets of emotions was evaluated with a series of hierarchical regression analyses (of residuals). Coping was associated with changes in all four sets of emotions, with some forms of coping associated with increases in positive emotions and other forms associated with increases in negative emotions.
Students (n = 1705) in grades 7 through 10 were surveyed at baseline and 1 year later about their weight concerns, dieting behaviors, and smoking behavior. Three of six weight concerns and dieting behaviors assessed at baseline were prospectively related to smoking initiation in girls (trying to lose weight, eating disorder symptoms, constant thoughts about weight). Four of six weight concerns and dieting behaviors were cross-sectionally related to current smoking at baseline in girls (trying to lose weight, eating disorder symptoms, fear of weight gain, desire to be thin). Weight concerns and dieting behaviors were largely unrelated to current smoking in boys. Implications for smoking prevention efforts are discussed.
From analyzing 100 assessments of coping, the authors critiqued strategies and identified best practices for constructing category systems. From current systems, a list of 400 ways of coping was compiled. For constructing lower order categories, the authors concluded that confirmatory factor analysis should replace the 2 most common strategies (exploratory factor analysis and rational sorting). For higher order categories, they recommend that the 3 most common distinctions (problem- vs. emotion-focused, approach vs. avoidance, and cognitive vs. behavioral) no longer be used. Instead, the authors recommend hierarchical systems of action types (e.g., proximity seeking, accommodation). From analysis of 6 such systems, 13 potential core families of coping were identified. Future steps involve deciding how to organize these families, using their functional homogeneity and distinctiveness, and especially their links to adaptive processes.
Recent research has suggested that the Social Physique Anxiety Scale (SPAS) is a multidimensional rather than a unidimensional measure. The present study challenged this position on both conceptual and empirical grounds. After deleting three questionable items from the SPAS, a series of confirmatory factor analyses were conducted across four samples of women who had completed the scale. Across all samples, the model fit indices (i.e., all > .90) suggested that a nine-item, single factor model of the SPAS is more parsimonious and conceptually clear than a two-factor model. It is recommended that researchers of social physique anxiety begin to use the nine-item version of the SPAS described in this paper.
Seventy-three college female and 84 high school female cheerleaders participated in the current study on eating disorders and pressures within cheerleading. The participants completed the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI), the Social Physique Anxiety Scale (SPAS), and CHEER, a measure developed by the authors to identify pressures within cheerleading. A one-way MANOVA indicated significant differences between high school and college cheerleaders on CHEER and SPAS. Correlational analyses revealed a strong relation between SPAS, body dissatisfaction scores, and eating behavior, suggesting that body image is an important predictor for eating disorders in cheerleaders. Moreover, although high school cheerleaders reported fewer pressures than their college counterparts, they exhibited greater body dissatisfaction and disordered eating patterns.
Examines research indicating that children are affected by U.S. society's preoccupation with thinness, discusses self-esteem and healthy body image, and offers suggestions for incorporating strategies into existing comprehensive school health programs to deter disordered eating and inappropriate dieting habits among children. (SM)
Appearance anxiety describes an apprehension about aspects of one's physical appearance and how others evaluate them. To date, research in this area has focused primarily on a female population. In light of recent evidence that men are becoming more concerned about matters of physical appearance, and are reporting a greater degree of negative body image than in previous generations, it was considered important to understand better the nature of this characteristic for men as well. A group (n=71) of college-aged men took part in the study. As hypothesized, appearance anxiety related inversely to physical activity participation, but this association was weak and was negated when percent body fat was entered as a covariate in the analysis. Results also indicated that appearance anxiety was predictive of self-reported distress during a body composition valuation, but that it failed to relate to a physiological measure of arousal/anxiety taken during the evaluation (viz. heart rate increase from baseline). Of further interest was the finding that nearly half the variance in appearance anxiety was accounted for by a measure of Upper Body esteem - a finding which is in accord with evidence that male body dissatisfaction is most pronounced for the chest and the waist. The fact that ultra-muscular mesomorphy is the current standard of male sexual attractiveness may go some way in explaining our findings.
Preliminary research indicates that self-presentation may be an important antecedent and consequence of physical activity because it may affect people's exercise cognitions, attitudes, and behaviors. The specific purposes of this article were to review the literature on self-presentational processes with regard to (a) exercise behavior, (b) motivation to engage in physical activity, (c) the characteristics of the exercise environment, (d) subjective responses to acute exercise, and (e) the effects of exercise interventions on self-presentational concerns. Implications of a self-presentational perspective for examining exercise adherence and developing physical activity interventions are discussed.
examines current thinking and research related to adaptive coping / the outstanding question is whether variations in coping strategies are associated with variations in outcomes such as emotional adjustment and physical health / consider both conceptual and methodological complexities in describing adaptive coping, summarize some research literature on coping in various criterion groups, and finally present some preliminary conclusions and generalizations about adaptive coping and ways of training coping skills (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
A 12-item self-report scale was developed to assess the degree to which people become anxious when others observe or evaluate their physiques. The Social Physique Anxiety Scale (SPAS) demonstrated both high internal and test–retest reliability. It also correlated appropriately with concerns regarding others' evaluations and with feelings about one's body. Validity data from 56 female undergraduates showed that Ss who scored high on the SPAS were heavier and had a higher percentage of body fat than those who scored lower. In addition, high scorers reported significantly greater anxiety during a real evaluation of their physiques, further supporting the validity of the scale. Possible uses of the SPAS in basic research involving physique anxiety and in applied fitness settings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Previous personality measures examining individuals' propensity to engage in self-presentation (e.g. self-monitoring, social desirability) often dealt only with positive forms of self-presentation and have not measured individuals' proclivity to use specific self-presentation tactics. In order to overcome these problems, 4 studies were carried out to (a) develop a self-presentation tactics scale (SPT) measuring individual differences in proclivity for using 12 self-presentation tactics, (b) examine the dimensions of self-presentation and (c) to examine gender differences in self-presentation behavior. The results of the 4 studies indicate that the SPT is internally consistent, consistent across time and that the SPT shows adequate discriminant validity. Confirmatory factor analyses demonstrate that self-presentation consists of two distinct components: defensive and assertive tactics, and that these two general types of tactics are significantly correlated. Additionally, males are more likely than females to use assertive self-presentation tactics. The potential utility of the self-presentation tactics scale for future research on self-presentational behavior is discussed.
Several studies indicate that the differences in smoking habits which have hitherto prevailed between the sexes are decreasing, partly because of the increase in smoking among young Norwegian women. It has been suggested that concern about body image and weight gain is of particular relevance to women taking up smoking. In this article we present findings from a cohort study among 646 adolescents between the ages of 15 and 18 years. The results indicate that boys start smoking later than girls, and that concern about weight gain, body image and dieting plays a more important role in girls' than in boys' smoking habits at the age of 15. These factors are unrelated to boys' smoking habits at the age of 18, whereas they contribute significantly in predicting girls' smoking habits three years later. Furthermore, the results show that among girls, those who smoke are more concerned about gaining weight. Our findings emphasize the importance of implementing smoking prevention programmes at different age levels, using different motivating factors for boys and girls.
The present study 1) tested whether the two-factor model to the 12-item Social Physique Anxiety Scale (SPAS) was substantively meaningful or a methodological artifact representing positively and negatively worded items, 2) assessed the factorial validity of the nine-item unidimensional model to the SPAS, 3) examined whether modifying the number of SPAS items would improve the factorial validity. 4) evaluated the factorial invariance of the SPAS across gender, and 5) explored the construct validity of SPAS scores.
Female (N = 146) and male (N = 166) college students (22.2 +/- 4.0 yr) in lecture (N = 103) and physical activity (N = 209) courses completed the SPAS, Physical Self-Efficacy Scale (PSES), Surveillance subscale of the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale (S-OBCS), and short form of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (SDS-C).
Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) revealed that the two-factor model to the 12-item SPAS was a methodological artifact representing positively and negatively worded items. CFA indicated that the nine-item unidimensional model represented an acceptable fit to the SPAS, but it also could be improved. Modifications based on standardized residuals and item content led to the removal of two items and a seven-item unidimensional solution to the SPAS. The nine- and seven-item models demonstrated factorial invariance across gender. Correlation analyses between nine- and seven-item SPAS scores to PSES, S-OBCS, and SDS-C provided support for the construct validity.
The nine- and seven-item unidimensional models to the SPAS demonstrated evidence of factorial validity, factorial invariance, and construct validity; the two-factor model to the SPAS represented a methodological artifact.
Developing a lean muscular figure for the purposes of sports and/or appearance has become a central issue for males. Concern has been raised because the desire to develop such a body build may lead to the adoption of numerous health-threatening behaviors. Consequently, this review presents a comprehensive analysis of the physical and psychological consequences that result from the use of steroids (legal and illegal), ephedrine, and deleterious dieting strategies specific to males. Putative risk factors for these behaviors will be identified, and the clinical disorder associated with the extreme abuse of these behaviors, muscle dysmorphia, will be examined.
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157 undergraduate students (M age 18.6 yr.) taking introductory psychology courses participated in this study to assess if men's self-perceived weight status is associated with a disposition to engage in or to avoid activities that would expose the body to scrutiny of male and female observers. A second objective of this study was to examine whether willingness to expose the upper torso would be associated with self-reports of anxiety about physique and fear of negative evaluation. Analysis indicated that both self-perceived overweight and underweight men reported less intent than self-perceived normal weight men to volunteer for activities that would expose the body to scrutiny. Surprisingly, participants volunteered for more activities if the viewers of their bodies were women than if they were men. Finally, endorsed unwillingness to expose the upper torso to others was significantly associated with increased social physique anxiety and higher fear of negative evaluation.
Don’t let me be fat or physically incompetent! The relationship between physical self-concept and social physique anxiety in Canadian high performance female adolescent athletes.
- Crocker P.R.E.
- Synder J.
- Kowalski K.C.
Crocker PRE, Synder J, Kowalski KC, et al. Don't let me be fat or
physically incompetent! The relationship between physical self-concept and social physique anxiety in Canadian high performance female adolescent athletes. Avante 2000;6:1-8.
Social physique anxiety and eating disorder correlates among female athletic and nonathletic populations [10] Reel JJ, Gill DL. Psychological factors related to eating disorders among high school and college female cheerleaders
- Ha Hausenblas
- Mack
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