Body image, physical attractiveness, and depression.

Abstract

Although substantial literatures attest to the psychosocial impact of individuals' physical attractiveness and the centrality of physical self-concept, or body image, to global self-concept, little research has examined the relationship of these two variables to depression. Accordingly, in the present study, 224 college men and women completed alfective and cognitive measures of body image, the Center for Epidemiologlcal Studies-Depression scale (CES-D), and a single, self-labeling of depression item. Each subject was videotaped, and objective raters reliably evaluated a static, full-body pose of each subject on physical attractiveness. The subjects were classified as depressed (n = 35) or nondepressed (n = 42) on the basis of the conjunctive criteria of self-labeling and extreme groups on the CESD. As hypothesized, the multivariate and univariate analyses of variance indicated that depressed subjects were less satisfied with their bodies and saw themselves as less physically attractive than was reported by nondepressed subjects. These groups did not differ, however, with respect to observer-rated physical attractiveness. Support was obtained for Beck's (1973, 1976) cognitive hypothesis that depressed persons negatively distort their body images. However, the results also indicated substantial positive distortion among nondepressed subjects.

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