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Experimental manipulation of visual attention affects body size adaptation but not body dissatisfaction
Citation
Stephen, ID and Hunter, K and Sturman, D and Mond, J and Stevenson, RJ and Brooks, KR, Experimental manipulation of visual attention affects body size adaptation but not body dissatisfaction, The International journal of eating disorders pp. 1-9. ISSN 0276-3478 (2018) [Refereed Article]
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Abstract
Objective: Prolonged exposure to large/small bodies causes aftereffects in perceived body size. Outside the laboratory, individuals repeatedly exposed to small (large) bodies tend to over- (under-) estimate their size and exhibit increased (decreased) body dissatisfaction. Why, among individuals exposed to approximately equivalent distributions of body sizes, only some develop body size and shape misperception and/or body dissatisfaction is not yet fully understood.
Method: We exposed 61 women to high and low adiposity bodies simultaneously, instructing half to attend to high, and half to low adiposity bodies.
Results: Participants in the high adiposity attention condition's perception of "normal" body size significantly increased in adiposity, and vice versa.
Discussion: This suggests that visual attention moderates body size aftereffects. Interventions encouraging visual attention to more realistic ranges of bodies may therefore reduce body misperception. No change in body dissatisfaction was found, suggesting that changes in the perceptual component (misperception) may not necessarily affect the attitudinal component (dissatisfaction) of body image distortion.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Keywords: | Body size misperception, Visual adaptation |
Research Division: | Medical and Health Sciences |
Research Group: | Public Health and Health Services |
Research Field: | Mental Health |
Objective Division: | Health |
Objective Group: | Health and Support Services |
Objective Field: | Health Education and Promotion |
UTAS Author: | Mond, J (Dr Jon Mond) |
ID Code: | 130354 |
Year Published: | 2018 |
Deposited By: | Centre for Rural Health |
Deposited On: | 2019-01-22 |
Last Modified: | 2019-02-04 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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