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Body self‐discrepancies and women's social physique anxiety: The moderating role of the feared body
Author(s) -
Woodman Tim,
Steer Rebecca
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
british journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.536
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 2044-8295
pISSN - 0007-1269
DOI - 10.1348/000712610x507821
Subject(s) - psychology , anxiety , social anxiety , multilevel model , developmental psychology , social comparison theory , social psychology , clinical psychology , psychiatry , machine learning , computer science
We explored ideal, ought, and feared body image self‐discrepancies as predictors of social physique anxiety within Carver, Lawrence, and Scheier's and Woodman and Hemmings' interaction frameworks. One hundred women completed actual, ideal, ought, and feared body self‐discrepancy visual analogue scales, the Social Physique Anxiety Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory‐II. Moderated hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the relationship between ought body fat discrepancies and social physique anxiety was moderated by proximity to the feared fat self. Specifically, the positive relationship between ought fat discrepancies and social physique anxiety was stronger when women were far from their feared body self. The results highlight the importance of considering the feared self in order to more fully understand the relationship between body image and social physique anxiety.