Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 28, 2026
07:40
Validation of a Psychosocial Intervention on Body Image in Older People: An Experimental Design
Published on: May 31, 2021
Body satisfaction among adolescents in eight different countries
Marita P McCabe1, Matthew Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, David Mellor
1School of Psychology, Deakin University, Victoria, Australia. marita.mccabe@deakin.edu.au
Journal of Health Psychology
|October 25, 2011
Summary
Adolescent males report higher body satisfaction than females across diverse cultures. While body satisfaction shows cultural similarities, attitudes toward larger body sizes differ significantly between cultural groups.
Area of Science:
- Cross-cultural psychology
- Adolescent health
- Body image research
Background:
- Body satisfaction is a critical aspect of adolescent well-being.
- Cultural norms significantly influence perceptions of ideal body size.
- Understanding cross-cultural variations in body image is essential for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate body satisfaction and the perceived value of body size among adolescents.
- To compare these perceptions across diverse cultural settings in Australia, Fiji, Malaysia, Tonga, New Zealand, China, Chile, and Greece.
- To identify similarities and differences in body satisfaction and attitudes towards body size influenced by culture.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 2489 adolescent females and 2152 males.
- Data collected from participants across multiple countries: Australia, Fiji, Malaysia, Tonga, Tongans in New Zealand, China, Chile, and Greece.
- Analysis of body satisfaction levels and attitudes towards body size, considering body mass index (BMI).
Main Results:
- Males exhibited higher body satisfaction compared to females across most cultural groups.
- Average Body Mass Index (BMI) was generally lower in males than females, with exceptions in China and Malaysia.
- Attitudes towards larger body sizes varied notably among different cultural groups for both males and females.
Conclusions:
- Significant cultural similarities exist in overall body satisfaction among adolescents.
- Cultural differences are pronounced in the valuation of larger body sizes.
- These findings highlight the complex interplay between culture, gender, and body image in adolescence.
Related Concept Videos
03:00Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
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...
01:27Ethnic Identity within a Larger Culture
Adolescents from ethnic minority backgrounds face a multifaceted journey in forming their identities, shaped by the intersections of cultural expectations and personal exploration. For these adolescents, identity formation involves not only typical developmental challenges but also navigating the perceptions and attitudes of the majority culture. As they grow, adolescents in ethnic minority groups often become increasingly aware of stereotypes, social biases, and discrimination, all of which...
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...
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...
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...