Body image refers to how individuals experience and perceive their bodies and can be
affected by many factors, including peers and family members. Adolescence is a time when
body image concerns are emphasized due to the bodily changes of puberty as well as
increased internalization of cultural ideals and pressure to adhere to those ideals.
Appearance-related teasing is one particular sociocultural factor that is gaining attention in
the research field due to the emphasis placed on appearance during adolescence. The
current study examined how appearance-related teasing by peers, parents, and siblings
affected young adolescents' body image both directly and indirectly via social comparison.
Further, because body image is a multidimensional construct and can include body
dissatisfaction and drive for muscularity, the present study examined both of these
constructs separately. I collected self-report questionnaires from 73 adolescent girls and 67
boys in middle school. I used Pearson correlations, linear regression, and mediation
analyses to examine these hypotheses. First, I hypothesized that adolescents who were
teased about their appearance by at least one of their parents would also have siblings who
teased them. I found significant correlations between both fathers' and mothers' teasing
and siblings' teasing, suggesting that parents are modeling teasing behaviors to their
children. Second, I hypothesized that appearance-related teasing by fathers, mothers, peers,
and siblings would each be associated with body dissatisfaction for girls and drive for
muscularity for boys. My findings indicated that mothers', fathers', peers', and siblings'
teasing predicted girls' body dissatisfaction and that mothers' and fathers' teasing predicted
boys' drive for muscularity. Therefore, appearance-related teasing appears to be
detrimental behavior that negatively influences adolescents' body image. Third, I
hypothesized that appearance-related social comparison would mediate the relationship
between appearance-related teasing from all sources and body dissatisfaction among girls
and drive for muscularity among boys. Appearance-related social comparison fully
mediated the relationship between fathers' teasing and girls' body dissatisfaction and the
relationship between mothers' teasing and boys drive for muscularity. My findings suggest
that boys and girls who were teased about their appearance were more likely to engage in
social comparison, which negatively impacted their body image. Therapists need to be
aware of the role family members' and peers' appearance-related teasing play in the
development of adolescents' body image in order to address the occurrence and negative
effects of teasing. In addition, researchers will need to conduct future studies further
investigating appearance-related teasing by family members and peers and design
intervention and prevention programs to address teasing and social comparison among the
family and peer contexts.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ndsu.edu/oai:library.ndsu.edu:10365/29326 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Schaefer, Mallary Kay |
| Publisher | North Dakota State University |
| Source Sets | North Dakota State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text/thesis |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | NDSU Policy 190.6.2 |
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