ARTICLE
Ideal body stereotype internalization and
sociocultural attitudes towards appearance:
a preliminary cross-national comparison between
Czech, Polish and American women
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1
Interdisciplinary Doctoral Studies at the SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Wrocław Faculty of Psychology
2
Students Scientific Association “Corpusculum Consilii” at the SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Katowice Faculty of Psychology
3
SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland
4
SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Katowice Faculty of Psychology
Submission date: 2017-04-05
Final revision date: 2017-09-26
Acceptance date: 2017-10-03
Publication date: 2017-12-18
Corresponding author
Anna Brytek-Matera
SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Katowice Faculty of Psychology, ul. Techników 9, 40-326 Katowice, Poland
Arch Psych Psych 2017;19(4):57-65
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ABSTRACT
Aim of the study:
The aims of the study were: (1) to evaluate an ideal body stereotype internalisation and a sociocultural attitudes towards appearance, (2) to assess the relationship between an ideal body stereotype internalisation and a sociocultural attitudes towards appearance, (3) to analyze the predictor of an ideal body stereotype internalisation, (4) to verify if nationality is a significant mediator in the relationship between pressure to conform to the Western ideals exhibited by the media and ideal body stereotype internalisation among Polish, Czech and American women.
Subject or material and methods:
The research sample consisted of 213 women. We used the SATAQ-3 [19] and the Ideal-Body Stereotype Scale–Revised [20].
Results:
American women report higher internalisation of general body shape ideal and athletic-ideal internalisation, and feel stronger pressure to conform to the Western ideals compared to Polish and Czech women. Polish women report the highest ideal body stereotype internalisation. Pressure to conform to the Western ideals is a statistically significant predictor of ideal body stereotype internalisation for each group. Moreover, mediation analysis indicates that nationality partially mediates the relationship between pressure to conform to the Western ideals to have a slim figure and ideal body stereotype internalisation.
Discussion:
As we can see our research made in three different nationalities seems to support the view that phenomenon of body image is multidimensional structure. It is necessarily to verify universal positive determinants influenced body image.
Conclusions:
Societal and cultural influences on body image are present among Polish, Czech and American women. They considerably determine their efforts in pursuit of an ideal body shape.