Introduction
First described nearly a century ago, “body image” can be loosely defined as the mental representation of our bodies that we hold in our minds. Originally, it was believed that body image is a mirror image of what objectively exists in the world, but that certain pathologies could interfere with this perceptual process (e.g., phantom limb pain or anorexia nervosa). However, more recent literature suggests that body image is strongly influenced by a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, psychological, social, cultural, biological, historical, and individual factors (Cash & Smolak, 2011).
In clinical psychology, body image is a construct that is implicated in both eating disorders and body dysmorphic disorder. Many individuals with these conditions experience an inability to objectively perceive their body’s appearance, size, or shape. Body dissatisfaction, or a negative evaluation of the size, shape, or appearance of one’s body, has been linked to numerous...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Bordo, S. (1993). Anorexia nervosa: Psychopathology as the crystallization of culture. Unbearable weight: Feminism, western culture and the body (pp. 139–164). California: University of California Press.
Bruch, H. (1962). Perceptual and conceptual disturbances in anorexia nervosa. Psychosomatic Medicine, 24, 187–194.
Cafri, G., Yamamiya, T., Brannick, M., & Thompson, J. K. (2005). The influence of sociocultural factors on body image: A meta-analyses. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 12, 421–433.
Cash, T. F. (2004). Body image: Past, present and future. Body Image: An International Journal of Research, 1(1), 1–5.
Cash, T. F., & Smolak, L. (Eds.). (2011). Body image: A handbook of science, practice, and prevention (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.
Cole, E., & Daniel, J. H. (2005). Featuring females: Feminist analyses of media. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Fisher, S. (1990). The evolution of psychological concepts about the body. In T. F. Cash & T. Pruzinsky (Eds.), Body images: Development, deviance, and change (pp. 3–20). New York: Guilford Press.
Hesse-Biber, S. N. (2007). The cult of thinness. New York: Oxford University Press.
Hughes, B. (2000). Medicine and the aesthetic invalidation of disabled people. Disability and Society, 15, 555–568.
Jacobi, C., Hayward, C., de Zwaan, M., Kraemer, H. C., & Agras, S. (2004). Coming to terms with risk factors for eating disorders: Application of risk terminology and suggestions for a general taxonomy. Psychological Bulletin, 130(1), 19–65.
Kilbourne, J. (1994). Still killing us softly: Advertising and the obsession with thinness. In P. Fallon, M. Katzman, & S. Wooley (Eds.), Feminist perspective on eating disorders (pp. 395–418). New York: Guilford.
Mills, J. S., Polivy, J., Herman, C. P., & Tiggemann, M. (2002). Effects of exposure to thin media images: Evidence of self-enhancement among restrained eaters. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 28, 1687–1699.
Mills, J. S., Roosen, K., & Vella-Zarb, R. (2011). The psychology of body image: Understanding body image instability and distortion. In S. B. Greene (Ed.), Body image: Perceptions, interpretations, and attitudes (pp. 59–80). New York: Nova Science Publishers.
Schilder, P. (1950). The image and appearance of the human body. New York: International Universities Press.
Slade, P. D. (1988). Body image in anorexia nervosa. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 153(2), 20–22.
Smeets, M. A. M. (1997). The rise and fall of body size estimation research in anorexia nervosa: A review and reconceptualization. European Eating Disorders Review, 5, 75–95.
Stice, E., Shaw, H., & Marti, N. (2007). Eating disorder prevention programs: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 130, 206–227.
Swami, V., et al. (2010). The attractive female body weight and female body dissatisfaction in 26 countries across 10 world regions: Results of the International Body Project I. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 36(3), 309–325.
Wardle, J., Haase, A. M., & Steptoe, A. (2006). Body image and weight control in young adults: International comparisons in university students from 22 countries. International Journal of Obesity, 30, 644–651.
Online Resources
Body Image Handbook. http://www.body-images.com/research/books_audio.html
Body Image: An International Journal of Research. http://www.journals.elsevier.com/body-image/#description
Centre for Appearance Research. http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/hls/research/appearanceresearch
Dove Self-Esteem Project. http://www.dove.ca/en/Social-Mission/Self-Esteem-Resources/
Eating Disorder Research Society. www.edresearchsociety.org
International Association for Eating Disorders. www.aedweb.org
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this entry
Cite this entry
Roosen, K.M., Mills, J.S. (2014). Body Image, Overview. In: Teo, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Critical Psychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5583-7_403
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5583-7_403
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-5582-0
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-5583-7
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Sciences