Cross-gender influence: The effect of perceived male preference on female body image and self-esteem in a young adult group

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to explore the potential relationship between affect related to female perception of male preference for the female thin ideal (“Sensitivity to Male Preference”) and female body image and self-esteem. Ninety-three, heterosexual, female undergraduate students (M = 19.78, SD = 2.66) completed a series of questionnaires which tapped Body Image Dissatisfaction, Body Image Discrepancy, Appearance Schema and Self-Worth. The “Female Perception of Male Preference Questionnaire” (devised specifically for the purpose of the present study) assessed Sensitivity to Male Preference. Results indicated that females who expressed greater negative affect in relation to their perception of male preference for the female thin ideal also showed higher levels of body image dissatisfaction, appearance schema, discrepancy (between their perceived current and ideal figures), and lower levels of self-worth. Findings suggest that female perception of male preference may be an important variable when considering factors that influence female body image and self-esteem, and thus warrant further attention in research.

Keywords::

• Cross-gender influence
• Female body image
• Self-esteem
• Appearance schema
• Body image dissatisfaction
• Internalisation