Body cathexis in children as a function of awareness training and yoga

Abstract

The intimate relationship between mind and body suggests that one's body‐image may strongly affect one's self‐image. Low body‐cathexis has been correlated with low self‐cathexis. Since these concepts apparently develop at an early age, the present study was designed to test a means of increasing body satisfaction in children. Twelve third‐year elementary school students, ten girls and two boys, who demonstrated low body satisfaction and poor physical coordination were randomly assigned to either an experimental group which received awareness training and yoga exercises or to a control group. A before‐after two‐group design was used. Measures of body satisfaction were obtained from an adapted children's version of the Secord‐Jourard Body Cathexis Test and the Human Figures Drawing Test. Results indicated that the children who experienced awareness training and yoga increased in body satisfaction; no change was found in the control group (p < .01). If poor body‐image does indeed adversely affect self‐image, this study has demonstrated an effective means of counteracting such negative influence.

Notes

¹ Michael J. Mitchell's mailing address is 890 Drewry Street N.B., Atlanta, Georgia 30306.