The Science of Body Image: Why the Mirror Critic Never Delivers

TEST_YOURSELF · How well do you know this science?

1. 01 According to objectification theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997), what happens when people internalize an observer's perspective on their own bodies?

   They become more accurate judges of their own appearanceThey monitor their bodies habitually, which increases shame and anxietyThey stop caring about how they look to othersTheir motivation to exercise increases

   The theory posits that internalizing an observer's perspective leads to habitual body monitoring, which increases opportunities for shame and anxiety, reduces peak motivational states, and diminishes awareness of internal bodily signals. source ↗

2. 02 In the 1998 'swimsuit study', what happened when women tried on a swimsuit alone in front of a mirror instead of a sweater?

   Their mood improved because they felt more attractiveNothing measurable changedBody shame increased and their math test performance droppedThey ate more in a later taste test

   Fredrickson, Roberts, Noll, Quinn and Twenge found that the swimsuit condition increased body shame in women and impaired math performance — evidence that a state of self-objectification consumes attentional resources. source ↗

3. 03 What did anthropologist Mimi Nichter conclude that teenage girls are usually doing when they say 'I'm so fat'?

   Reporting a medical concern about their weightPerforming a social ritual that asks for reassurance and signals solidarityAnnouncing that they have started a dietTrying to make thinner friends feel guilty

   In Fat Talk (2000), based on three years of interviews, Nichter describes 'I'm so fat' as a ritualized speech routine among girls — a bid for reassurance and a way of expressing solidarity — rather than a literal description of their bodies. source ↗

4. 04 In Salk and Engeln-Maddox's 2011 study of college women, fat-talk frequency was associated with which of these?

   Body mass index, but not body dissatisfactionNeither body dissatisfaction nor body mass indexBody dissatisfaction and thin-ideal internalization, but not body mass indexHigher self-esteem, because venting felt relieving

   Self-reported fat-talk frequency was associated with greater body dissatisfaction and internalization of the thin ideal, but not with BMI — the talk reflected the internalized standard, not participants' actual bodies. source ↗

5. 05 What did the 2015 randomized controlled trial of a three-week self-compassion meditation program find?

   It reduced body dissatisfaction and body shame, and increased body appreciationIt made participants complacent and less motivated to care for themselvesIt only worked for participants who were already satisfied with their bodiesIt showed no difference from the waitlist control group

   Compared to a waitlist control, women who completed three weeks of self-compassion meditation showed significantly greater reductions in body dissatisfaction, body shame, and appearance-contingent self-worth, plus gains in self-compassion and body appreciation — maintained at three-month follow-up. source ↗