Prediction of Body Image Dissatisfaction of Female Students based on Personality Traits

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Kazerun Salman Farsi University, Kazerun, Iran

2 Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to predict body-image dissatisfaction of female students based on personality factors with mediating role of Instagram activity and appearance-based comparisons on Instagram. The research was a correlational study in terms of the method and research sample consisted of 301 female students selected by multistage-cluster sampling from 3rd and 4th year students of Kazerun universities, who responded to the Body Image Concern Inventory, the short form of the Goldberg Personality Questionnaire, the scale of activity on Instagram and the researcher-made questionnaire for appearance-based comparisons. Data have been analyzed using the Structural Equation Model in AMOS22 software. The findings showed that among five personality factors, only neuroticism predicted body image dissatisfaction directly and indirectly, by mediating the level of activity on Instagram and appearance-based comparisons. Thus, it can be said that the female student's neuroticism, while directly increasing their body image dissatisfaction, increases their activity on the Instagram, and, consequently, the increase in their appearance-based comparisons increases their body image dissatisfaction. Due to the great interest of the young Iranian community to the Instagram in recent years, this finding should be taken into consideration by the families, education officials of the country as well as women's activists.

Keywords

References

Allen, M., and Walter, E. (2016). Personality and body image: A systematic review. Body image. 19, 79-88.
Azali Alamdari, K., Azaryan, S., Ghorbanzadeh, B., and Khoshnevis, F. (2016). Fatigue rating and body appreciation in sedentary and those women present in sport activities from Tabriz city. Journal of Promotion Health, 5(3), 1-14. (Text in Persian).
Bessenoff, G. (2006). Can the media affect us? Social comparison, self-discrepancy, and the thin ideal. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 30(3), 239-251.
Brown, Z., and  Tiggemann, M. (2016). Attractive celebrity and peer images on Instagram Effect on women's mood and body image. Body Image, 19, 37-43.
Cash, T. (2002). The impact of body image experiences: development of the body image quality of life inventory. International Journal of eating disorders, 131 (4), 455-480.
Carrier, L., Cheever, N., Rosen, L., Benitez, S., and Chang, J. (2009). Multitasking across generations: Multitasking choices and difficulty ratings in three generations of Americans. Computers in Human Behavior, 25(2), 483-489.
Dalley, S., Buunk, A., and Umit, T. (2009). Female body dissatisfaction after exposure to overweight and thin media images: The role of body mass index and neuroticism. Personality and Individual Differences, 47, 47-51.
Donnellan, M., Burt, S., Levendosky, A., and Klump, K. (2008). Genes, personality, and attachment in adults: a multivariate behavioral genetic analysis. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 34(1), 3-16.
E’temadifard, S. M., and Amani, M. (2013). A sociological study on women’s motivations for pursuing cosmetic surgery. Women’s Studies, 4(8), 1-22. )Text in Persian).
Fallon, A. (1990). Culture in the Mirror: Socio-Cultural Determinants of Body Image. In T.F. Cash and T. Pruzinstky (Eds.), Body Images: Development, Deviance, and Change(80-109) New York: Guilford Press.
Fardouly, J., and Vartanian, L. (2015). Negative comparisons about one's appearance mediate the relationship between Facebook usage and body image concerns. Body Image, 12, 82-88.
Feiler, D., and Kleinbaum, A. (2015). Popularity, similarity, and the network extraversion bias. Psychological Science, 26, 593-603.
Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison process. Human Relations, 7(2), 117-140.
Groesz, L., Levine, M., and Murnen, S. (2002). The effect of experimental presentation of thin media images on body satisfaction: A meta-analytic review. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 31(1), 1-16.
Hendrickse, J., Secharan, R., and Clayton, R. (2016, September). EXAMINING WOMENS'COGNITIVE AND EMOTIONAL PROCESSING OF THIN, AVERAGE, AND PLUS SIZE FASHION MODELS DEPCITED IN THE MEDIA. Conference: 56th Annual Meeting of the Society-for-Psychophysiological-Research, At Minneapolis, Minnesota., Volume: 53
Hendrickse, J. (2016). Appearance-Related Comparisons Mediate the Relationship between Instagram Use and Body Image Concerns. (Master of Art Thesis, Florida State University).
Hendrickse, J., Arpan, L., Clayton, R., and Ridgway, J. (2017). Instagram and college women's body image: Investigating the roles of appearance-related comparisons and intrasexual competition. Computers in Human Behavior, 74, 92-100.
Heshmati, R., Khodaparast Kazeruni, S., and Karoghi Pour, F. (2017). The predictive role of body image, body mass index,dispositional mindfulness and alexithymia in marital satisfaction of employed women. Quarterly Journal of Women’s Studies Sociological and Psychological, 14(4), 43-68. (Text in Persian).
Homan, K., McHugh, E., Wells, D., Watson, C., and King, C. (2012). The effect of viewing ultra-fit images on college women’s body dissatisfaction. Body Image, 9, 50-56.
Hughes, D., Rowe, M,. Batey, M,. and Lee, A. (2012). A tale of two sites: Twitter vs. Facebook and the personality predictors of social media usage. Computers in Human Behavior, 28, 561-569.
Khormaee, F., and Farmani, A. (2014). Psychometric properties of the short form of Goldberg’s 50-item Personality Scale. Journal of Psychological Models and Methods, 4(16), 29-39. (Text in Persian).
Kline, R. B. (2011). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling. New York, NY: Guilford.
Knauss, C., Paxton, S., and Alsake, F.  (2007). Relationships amongst body dissatisfaction, internalisation of the media body ideal and perceived pressure from media in adolescent girls and boys. Body Image, 4, 353–360.
Liu, D., and Keith Campbell, W. (2017). The Big Five Personality Traits, Big Two Meta-traits and Social Media: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Research in Personality, 70, 229-240.
MacNeill, L., Best, L. A., and Davis, L. (2017). The role of personality in body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating: discrepancies between men and women. Journal of Eating Disorders, 5, 44.
Martin, S, J., and Rascine, S. (2017). Personality traits and appearance-ideal internalization: Differential associations with body dissatisfaction and compulsive exercise. Eating Behaviors, 27, 39-44.
Moore, K., and McElroy, J. (2012). The influence of personality on Facebook usage, wall postings, and regret. Computers in Human Behavior, 28, 267-274.
Mohammadi, N., and Sajadinejad, M. S. (2007). The Evaluation of psychometric properties of Body Image Concern Inventory and examination of a model about the relationship between body mass index, body image dissatisfaction and self-esteem in adolescent girls. Quarterly Journal of Psychological Studies, 3(1), 85-101. (Text in Persian).
Movahed, M., Mohammadi, N., and Hosseini, M. (2011). Mass Media, Self-Esteem, Body Image and Tendency to Use make up Studying the Relationship. Quarterly Journal of Women’s Studies Sociological and Psychological, 9(2), 133-160. (Text in Persian).
Nihan, O., & Burcu, M. (2013). The relationship between personality traits and social media use. Social behavior and personality: an international journal, 41(3), 517-528.
Nilforooshan, P., Ahmadi, A., Fatehizadeh, M., Abedi, M. A., and Ghasemi, V. (2015). The Simultaneous Effects of General Factor of Personality and Attachment Dimensions on Marital Quality. Journal of Family Counseling and Psychotherapy, 4(3), 473-507. (Text in Persian).
Perloff, R. (2014). Social Media Effects on Young Women’s Body Image Concerns: Theoretical Perspectives and an Agenda for Research. Sex Roles. 71, 363-377.
Rastegar Khaled, A., and Bagherian, M. (2013).The Body and the values: The Importance of Slimness among Women and its Relationship with Value Orientation A Case Study of Damghan City. Quarterly Journal of Women’s Studies Sociological and Psychological, 11(1), 7-54. (Text in Persian).
Ravadrad, A., and Gishnizjani, G. (2017) Typology of re-presentation mediated body of Iranian Instagram users. New Media Studies, 3(10), 265-310. (Text in Persian).
Rayegan, N., Shaeeri, M. R., and Asghari Moghadam, M. A. (2005). The Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Based on Cash 8-Steps Model on Negative Body Image of Female Students. Daneshvar-e-Raftar, 13(19), 11-22. (Text in Persian).
Richetin, J., Xaiz, A., Maravitam, A., and Perugini, M. (2012). Self-body recognition depends on implicit and explicit self-esteem. Body image, 9(2), 226-253.
Sadeghi Fasaei, S., Fazel, R., and Rezaei, H. (2016). Sociological Study of Factors Affecting Body Management of Women Born in 1980s (Qualitative Study of Women in Hamedan). Quarterly Journal of Socio-Cultural Development Studies, 5(1), 37-61. (Text in Persian).
Salomon, I. (2017). The Selfie-Generation: Examining the Relationship between Social Media Use and Early Adolescents Body Image. University of Kentucky Uknowledg.
Shakerian, A., Nazari, A., Ebrahimi, P., Fatemi, A., and Danai, S. (2012). The effects of similarity and contradiction personality traits on marital adjustment. International Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 6(3), 245-251. (Text in Persian).
Soler, P.T., Fernandes, H.M., Damasceno, V. O., and Novaes, J.S. (2013). Vigorexy and levels of exercise dependence in gym goers and bodybuilders. Revista Brasileira de Medicina do Esporte. 19(5), 343-348.
Taranis, L., andMeyer, C. (2010). Perfectionism and compulsive exercise among female exercisers: High personal standards or self-criticism? Personality and individual differences, 49(1), 3-7.
Tiggemann, M., and Miller, J. (2010). The Internet and adolescent girls’ weight-satisfaction and drive for thinness. Sex Roles, 63, 79–90.
Tiggemann, M., Polivy, J., and Hargreaves, D. (2009). The processing of thin ideals in fashion magazines: A source of social comparison or fantasy? Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 28, 73 –93.
Tiggemann, M., & Slater, A. (2013). Net Girls: The Internet, Facebook, and body image concern in adolescent girls. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 46, 630–634.
Tiggemann, M., & Slater, A. (2014). NetTweens: The Internet and body image concerns in preteenage girls. Journal of Early Adolescence, 34, 606–620.
Thorstein, V. (2002). The theory of the leisure class. Translated to Farsi by Culture Guidance. Tehran: Nei publications (Text in Persian).
Vrocharidou, A., and Efthymiou, I. (2012). Computer mediated communication for social and academic purposes: Profiles of use and University students' gratifications. Computers and Education, 58, 609-616.
Wilson, K., Fornasier, S., and White, K. M. (2010). Psychological predictors of young adults' use of social networking sites. Cyber psychology, Behavior and Social Networking, 13(2), 173-177.
Wilson, E. K., and Dishman, R. K. (2015). Personality and physical activity: A systematic review and meta- analysis. Personality and Individual Differences, 72, 230-242.
Yoo, K. H., and Gretzel, U. (2011). Influence of personality on travel-related consumer-generated media creation. Computers in Human Behavior, 27(2): 609-621.
 

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics