Factors that Influence Body Dissatisfaction: Comparisons across Culture and Gender

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between attachment style, differentiation of self, and body dissatisfaction across culture and gender. The sample consisted of 115 Caucasians (85 females, 29 males) with a mean age of 22.2 years (SD = 5.81) and 119 Chinese individuals (93 females, 26 males) with a mean age of 22.8 years (SD = 2.35). Participants completed online self-report measures of body satisfaction, attachment style, and differentiation of self. Results indicated that high attachment anxiety and less differentiation of self were associated with lower body satisfaction for women but not for men of either cultural group. There were no significant cultural or gender differences in terms of overall body satisfaction; however, there were differences with regard to preoccupation with weight and self-perceived weight. It was concluded that culture had little impact on body dissatisfaction in the present sample but that the factors that shape body dissatisfaction differed by gender.

Keywords:

• Body image
• culture
• attachment style
• differentiation of self

Notes

^aReported by Cash (2000).

^bFemales.

^cMales.

^dReported by Brennan et al. (1998); Wang & Mallinckrodt (2006b).

^eEnglish version.

^fChinese version.

^gReported by Skowron & Schmitt (2003).

*p < 0.05.

**p < 0.01.

*p < 0.05.

**p < 0.01.