The Effects of Body Image Perceptions and Sociocommunicative Orientations on Self-Esteem, Depression, and Identification and Involvement in the Gay Community

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine how nonverbally communicated messages based on weight and physical appearance related to antifat attitudes, image fixation, and discrimination based on physical appearance and weight on bisexual, gay, and lesbian people. Using an Internet-based sample of 233 participants (88% Anglo/Saxon or Caucasian), the results indicated Richmond and Valencic's (2000) conceptualization of image fixation negatively related to an individual's self-esteem and positively related to reported levels of depression. Results also indicated people with highly assertive and responsive communicative behaviors were less likely to hold antifat attitudes and less likely to dislike fat people. Differences between gay/bisexual males and lesbian/bisexual females were also analyzed, and gay/bisexual males had significantly higher levels of image fixation, antifat attitudes, dislike of fat people, weight locus of control, perceptions of self physical/weight discrimination, and depression than lesbian/bisexual females. The results also indicated lesbian/bisexual females had significantly higher levels of self-esteem and interaction and involvement within the bisexual and gay and lesbian community than gay/bisexual men.

KEYWORDS:

• Antifat attitudes
• image fixation
• weight locus of control
• nonverbal communication
• assertiveness
• responsiveness

Notes

1. While research clearly notes that gay men tend to prefer thinner partners as a whole, there are many within the gay community that are attracted to and maintain sustained relationships with men of larger sizes. For a complete discussion of this unique gay male subculture, the writings of Wright (1997, 2000) will be very helpful.

2. A Likert scale is a scale where participants are presented with a number of statements and then participants are asked to respond to those statements based on a pre-existing scale (e.g., 1 strong disagree to 5 strongly agree).

3. To see the revised version of the Antifat Scale, please contact the lead author of this article.