Master's Theses

Document Type

Thesis - campus only access

Date of Award

Summer 1997

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Psychology

Advisor

Robert Markley

Abstract

Obesity and body image have been an interest of psychologists and physicians for many years. There are many psychosocial and physical effects of being overweight. Teasing about obesity can be damaging psychologically to those who feel it criticizes some aspect about themselves over which they have no control. Social comparison of themselves to more ideal others can leave obese people feeling displeased with their appearance. This study was designed to investigate the relationship of recollection teasing and social comparison on body image satisfaction using obese people as subjects. The procedure was similar to that of Thompson and Heinberg (1993), who studied non-obese people. The results of the present study indicated that subjects experience negative body image. This negative body image correlated significantly with both teasing and social comparison. The effects of teasing and social comparison together yielded a stronger negative correlation with body image than with either one alone. The implications of these results, with respect to society and treatment, are discussed.

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Rights

© 1997 J. Kyle Van Gaasbeek

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