Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2026
07:40
Validation of a Psychosocial Intervention on Body Image in Older People: An Experimental Design
Published on: May 31, 2021
Gender differences in body esteem among older adults
Patricia L Kaminski1, Bert Hayslip
1Department of Psychology, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203, USA. kaminski@unt.edu
Journal of Women & Aging
|September 27, 2006
Summary
Men experience declining body esteem in later life, unlike women. Physical disability and lower self-esteem further impact body image and function in older adults.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Body esteem is crucial for well-being across the lifespan.
- Older adults face unique challenges impacting body image, including physical changes and disability.
- Existing research often overlooks gender differences in body esteem among the elderly.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate gender differences in body esteem among older adults.
- To explore the relationship between body esteem, age, gender, physical disability, and self-esteem.
- To differentiate between Body-as-Object Esteem (BOE) and Body-as-Process Esteem (BPE).
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 95 adults aged 60-91.
- Utilized measures for Body-as-Object Esteem (appearance) and Body-as-Process Esteem (function).
- Statistical analysis examined age by gender interactions and correlations with disability and self-esteem.
Main Results:
- A significant age by gender interaction showed men's BOE and BPE decline with age, while women's do not.
- Physical disability negatively correlated with BOE, especially in disabled women.
- Self-esteem predicted BOE; older disabled participants (>74 years) had low BPE and global self-esteem.
Conclusions:
- Gender significantly moderates body esteem changes in aging.
- Physical disability and low self-esteem exacerbate negative body image in older adults.
- Comprehensive assessment of body esteem, considering gender, disability, and self-esteem, is vital for older populations.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Sources of Self-Esteem III: Social Comparison
Social comparison plays a fundamental role in the evaluation of personal success and self-worth. Rather than assessing our achievements in isolation, we interpret their significance relative to personal goals and critically in comparison to the performance of others. A grade of B in a mathematics exam might elicit pride if one's expectation was a C, yet result in disappointment if an A was anticipated or if peers achieved superior results. These comparative evaluations illustrate how both...
01:18Sources of Self-Esteem I: Family Experience
Self-esteem, a crucial component of psychological development, is significantly shaped by familial experiences. The early parent-child relationship serves as a foundational influence on a child's self-concept, with long-lasting effects extending into adolescence and adulthood.Parental Behaviors and Early Self-Esteem FormationEmpirical studies have identified four principal parental behaviors that foster healthy self-esteem in children. These include expressions of acceptance, affection, and...
01:28Self-Esteem
Self-esteem, a core aspect of psychological well-being, reflects an individual's positive and negative self-evaluation in terms of worth, competence, and overall value. It is both a stable trait and a dynamic process, influenced by experiences and social interactions across the lifespan. While global self-esteem offers a general assessment, research highlights that self-esteem is multidimensional and varies across specific life domains.Domain-Specific Self-EsteemResearchers have delineated...
02:45Self-Discrepancy Theory
One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.
01:25Benefits of Self-Esteem
Self-esteem—an individual's overall evaluation of their worth—plays a complex role in psychological functioning and well-being. It is often associated with many positive traits, such as confidence, optimism, and perseverance. Individuals with high self-esteem typically experience better sleep, manage peer pressure more effectively, and report greater life satisfaction. Conversely, low self-esteem has been consistently linked with increased risks of depression, anxiety, and poor academic or...
01:26Self-Esteem and Culture
Self-esteem, a core psychological construct, is intricately shaped by cultural context and varies significantly between collectivist and individualistic societies. In collectivist cultures such as Japan, self-esteem tends to be flexible, context-sensitive, and influenced by relationships. A Japanese student, for instance, may show restraint in formal settings like school but behave more openly among close friends, reflecting the flexible and dynamic nature of self-concept in such...