Muscularity and attractiveness as predictors of human egalitarianism

This is the post-print version of the final paper published in Personality and Individual Differences. The published article is available from the link below. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. Copyright @ 2010 Elsevier B.V.In ancestral human environments, muscularity and height (in males) and physical attractiveness (in both sexes) would theoretically have correlated positively with one’s social status, and thus with one’s ability to benefit from social inequality. We therefore hypothesized that individuals who are more characterized by these traits would be less egalitarian (i.e., less likely to believe that resources should be distributed equally in social groups). We used a white-light 3D body scanner to extract anthropometric measurements from 118 participants, and our four egalitarianism measures included social dominance orientation and social value orientation. We found that as hypothesized, muscularity and waist–chest ratio in males, and self-perceived attractiveness in both sexes, tended to associate significantly in the predicted directions with the four egalitarianism measures; most of these correlations were of medium size. Neither height, nor two anthropometrically-assessed attractiveness measures (volume height index and waist–hip ratio), associated significantly with any egalitarianism measure in either sex. Egalitarianism has crucial social repercussions (e.g., taxes, welfare and civil rights), and results from the current study shed light on its origins

Muscle dysmorphia research neglects DSM-5 diagnostic criteria

This systematic review aimed to collect, evaluate, and synthesize the research on muscle dysmorphia (MD) post official recognition as a specifier for body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) in the DSM-5, and provide recommendations for future research. Literature searches were conducted in four databases to see if inclusion criteria were met. Results revealed 33 studies meeting inclusion criteria, none of which utilized DSM-5 criteria for MD and/or acknowledged the criterion in their research. Few studies acknowledged the association between MD and BDD, and the methodological quality of recent MD research was considered low due to a lack of clinical samples, measurements not using validated cut-off scores, and the research designs. In conclusion, future MD research is encouraged to utilize DSM-5 diagnostic criteria to better inform clinical practice; and significantly improve the methodological quality. As such, more effective treatment options may be developed reducing the risk of health harming consequences in these individuals

Associations between body dissatisfaction and self-reported anxiety and depression in otherwise healthy men: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction It is unknown whether male body dissatisfaction is related to anxiety and depression. This study investigates whether there is an association between body dissatisfaction and self-reported anxiety and/or depression in otherwise healthy adult males. Method A systematic review was conducted using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses as the reporting guideline. Four databases including CINAHL complete, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, MEDLINE and PsycINFO were searched for observational studies with a correlational design. Studies were appraised using the Appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies to measure quality and risk of bias. Data were extracted from studies to analyse and synthesise findings using content analysis and random effects meta-analyses in male body dissatisfaction and anxiety, depression, and both anxiety and depression. Results Twenty-three cross-sectional studies were included in the review. Nineteen studies found positive correlations between male body dissatisfaction and anxiety and/or depression. Meta-analyses of Pearson’s correlation coefficients found statistically significant associations with body satisfaction for anxiety 0.40 (95% CI 0.28 to 0.51) depression 0.34 (95% CI 0.22 to 0.45) and both anxiety and depression outcomes 0.47 (95% CI 0.33 to 0.59). The quality appraisal found study samples were homogeneous being mostly ascertained through academic institutions where participants were predominantly young, Caucasian and with relatively high educational attainment. Measures of body satisfaction focused predominantly on muscularity and thinness. Discussion This study provides the first pooled estimates of the correlation between body dissatisfaction and anxiety and depression in men. Findings need to be interpreted with respect to the samples and outcomes of the included studies. It is recommended that future research should increase the diversity of men in studies. Studies should measure a wider range of body dissatisfaction types found in men. Conclusion The findings demonstrate that an association between male body dissatisfaction and anxiety and depression is likely to exist. Future research should address the temporal relationship between body dissatisfaction and anxiety and depression

Revising the Body Esteem Scale with a U.S. College Student Sample: Evaluation, Validation, and Uses for the BES-R

The Body Esteem Scale (BES; Franzoi and Shields 1984) has been a primary research tool for over 30 years, yet its factor structure has not been fully assessed since its creation, so a two-study design examined whether the BES needed revision. In Study 1, a series of principal components analyses (PCAs) was conducted using the BES responses of 798 undergraduate students, with results indicating that changes were necessary to improve the scale’s accuracy. In Study 2, 1237 undergraduate students evaluated each BES item, along with a select set of new body items, while also rating each item’s importance to their own body esteem. Body items meeting minimum importance criteria were then utilized in a series of PCAs to develop a revised scale that has strong internal consistency and good convergent and discriminant validity. As with the original BES, the revised BES (BES-R) conceives of body esteem as both gender-specific and multidimensional. Given that the accurate assessment of body esteem is essential in better understanding the link between this construct and mental health, the BES-R can now be used in research to illuminate this link, as well as in prevention and treatment programs for body-image issues. Further implications are discussed

The relationship between social physique anxiety and psychosocial health in adolescents

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 self-acceptance and seeking appropriate social support

Detección de síntomas de dismorfia muscular en halterófilos masculinos.

Muscle dysmorphia (MD) is a body dismorphic disorder in which the sufferer is dissatisfied with their body size and shape.  MD has yet to be studied in weightlifters, and the objective of this research study is to detect its symptoms in 32 male weightlifters as well as any related characteristics and behaviours.  This study involved the distribution of a sociodemographic questionnaire in addition to the Escala de Satisfacción Muscular, the Physical Self-Concept Questionnaire, and the Somatomorphic Matrix, with the anthropometric measurements of the participants also being recorded.  The results revealed the existence of body dissatisfaction among athletes and, in some cases, muscle perception that does not equate to reality.  The athletes also use substances to build their muscles and enhance their performance, display obsessive muscle checking behaviours, and have low general physical self-concept that stems from their muscle (dis)satisfaction.  To conclude, this study confirms the existence of MD in this sport.La Dismorfia Muscular (DM) es un desorden dismórfico corporal en el que la persona que lo padece está insatisfecho con su tamaño corporal, y/o forma.  La DM  no ha sido estudiada en halterófilos, por lo que el objetivo de esta investigación fue detectar síntomas en 32 halterófilos varones, así como características y comportamientos asociados.  Este estudio requirió la cumplimentación de un cuestionario sociodemográfico además de una Escala de Satisfacción Muscular, un Cuestionario de Autoconcepto Físico y el Somatomorpic Matrix, así como el registro de las medidas antropométricas de los participantes. Los resultados revelaron la existencia de insatisfacción muscular entre los deportistas además del uso de sustancias con el objetivo de hacer crecer su musculatura y mejorar su rendimiento, comportamientos obsesivos con el fin de comprobar su musculatura, y bajas puntuaciones en autoconcepto físico como consecuencia de la insatisfacción muscular que sufrían.  Se puede concluir que esta investigación confirma la existencia de DM en esta modalidad deportiva

Assets at risk:menstrual cycle variation in the envisioned formidability of a potential sexual assailant reveals a component of threat assessment

Abstract Situations of potential agonistic conflict demand rapid and effective deci-sion-making. The process of threat assessment includes assessments of relative fighting capacity, assessments of the likelihood of attack, and assessments of the extent to which one′s assets are at risk. The dimensions of physical size and strength appear to serve as key parameters in a cognitive representation summarizing multiple constituents of threat assessment. Here, we examine the thesis that this same representation summa-rizes asset risk. The fitness costs of sexual assault are in part a function of conception risk, as pregnancy due to assault compromises female choice and imperils existing and subsequent male investment. Prior research indicates that women′s attitudes and behaviors vary systematically across the menstrual cycle in a manner that would have reduced the likelihood of sexual assault during periods of greatest fertility in ancestral women. If the envisioned size and strength of a potential antagonist is used to represent asset risk, and if the threat that sexual assault poses to a woman′s reproductive assets is in part a product of her fertility, then the conceptualized size and strength of a potential sexual assailant should be a function of conception risk. We find support for thi

An examination of the psychometric properties of Brazilian Portuguese translations of the Drive for Muscularity Scale, the Swansea Muscularity Attitudes Questionnaire, and the Masculine Body Ideal Distress Scale

The aim of this study was to translate into Brazilian Portuguese three scales for the assessment of men's body image, namely the Drive for Muscularity Scale (DMS), the Swansea Muscularity Attitudes Questionnaire (SMAQ), and the Male Body Ideal Distress Scale (MBIDS), and to evaluate the factor structure of each of these translated scales. A sample of 878 men completed translated versions of each of the scales, a previously translated Portuguese version of the Body Appreciation Scale, and demographic measures. Confirmatory factor analysis, using unweighted least square estimation and listwise deletion, was used to determine the scales' factorial structures. Results showed that the Portuguese DMS and MBIDS had similar factor structures as their parent versions, whereas the SMAQ had a three-factor structure that diverged from its parent scale. Adequate internal reliability coefficients and evidence of construct validity was established for all three scales. These translated scales provide useful tools for quantitative investigations of men's body image in the Brazilian context and expand the possibility of future cross-cultural research

Being Attractive is All That Matters: Objectification Theory and Gay Men

Body image among gay men is overlooked by scholars, and male body change strategies are not presented in a theoretical framework with this population. Using Fredrickson and Roberts’ (1997) Objectification Theory, we conceptualized factors, like internalization of the mesomorphic ideal and perceived socio-cultural pressures to be thin/muscular, within this framework to explain body image and body change strategies for gay men. Relationships between gay community affiliation, internalized homophobia, and self esteem were also explored with the constructs of the model. We collected data online from geographically diverse regions across the United States. Although path analysis with 266 gay men suggested that the model did not fit the data, an exploratory model demonstrated a good fit and suggested that body image among gay males is multifaceted. Further research should investigate gay male body image within a theoretical framework. These findings have significant implications for counseling gay men and their body image issues. Counselors can now be aware of how some variables, like pressures to be thin and muscular, internalized homophobia, internalization of the mesomorphic ideal, and community affiliation affect body image and body change strategies among gay men.College of The Arts and Sciences: Undergraduate Research Scholarshi