Predicting self-esteem from perceptions of actual and ideal ratings of body fatness: Is there only one ideal ''supermodel''?

Author(s): Roche, L. A.

Journal/Book: Res Quart Exercise Sport. 1996; 67: 1900 Association Drive, Reston, VA 22091. Amer Alliance Health Phys Educ Rec & Dance. 13-23.

Abstract: Silhouette ratings of actual and ideal body fat (N = 258 high school students) were related to 4 self-concept scales (Body Fat, Physical Appearance, General Physical, Esteem) and objective body composition measures in order to test predictions from actual-ideal discrepancy models. Actual-ideal discrepancy scores were more strongly related to self-concept than actual scores alone, thus supporting the traditional discrepancy model. However, multiple regression analyses demonstrated that more sophisticated actual-ideal discrepancy models that considered discrepancies in either direction (feeling too fat or too thin) did significantly better. Because the traditional discrepancy model is a special case of this more general discrepancy model, the more general model should have broad applicability. Important aspects of this task were (a) that discrepancies were evaluated along a continuum in which the ideal was not one of the endpoints of the continuum, (b) that there was reasonable variation in ideal ratings, and (c) that positive and negative discrepancies were reported.

Note: Article HW Marsh, Univ Western Sydney Macarthur, Fac Educ, POB 555, Campbelltown, NSW 2560, Australia

Keyword(s): physical self-concept; actual-ideal discrepancy models; body image; body fat; DISSATISFACTION; VALIDATION; WEIGHT

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