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Self-serving bias is a cognitive phenomenon in which individuals attribute positive outcomes to internal factors such as their abilities, intelligence, or effort while attributing negative outcomes to external circumstances. This cognitive distortion helps maintain self-esteem but can also impede objective self-assessment.Theoretical Explanations of Self-Serving BiasTwo primary theories explain the self-serving bias: the cognitive explanation and the motivational explanation.The cognitive...
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Experimental Manipulation of Body Size to Estimate Morphological Scaling Relationships in Drosophila
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Thinner than yourself: self-serving bias in body size estimation.

Mara Mazzurega1, Jlenia Marisa2, Massimiliano Zampini3,2

  • 1Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Corso Bettini 31, 38068, Rovereto (Trento), Italy. mara.mazzurega@gmail.com.

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Summary

Young adults exhibit a self-serving bias in body size perception, underestimating their own body size more than others. This bias is stronger in individuals with lower eating disorder risk, potentially preserving positive body image.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Body Image Research
  • Social Cognition

Background:

  • The self-serving bias typically involves viewing oneself in an overly positive light.
  • While documented for body attractiveness, its extent in own body size perception is less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the self-serving bias in body size estimation (BSE) among healthy young adults.
  • To explore the relationship between this bias and eating disorder risk.

Main Methods:

  • Two body size estimation tasks were employed using distorted avatars based on participants' or others' photos.
  • Participants compared avatar sizes to their own or an other's body size and selected representative body sizes.
  • Inter-individual differences in eating disorder risk were assessed.

Main Results:

  • A significant self-serving bias was observed, with participants underestimating their own body size more than others.
  • This bias was consistent across genders and linked to attractiveness judgments aligning with societal beauty standards.
  • The self-serving bias in BSE was more pronounced in individuals with lower eating disorder risk.

Conclusions:

  • Positive self-perceptions extend to body size estimation in young adults, aligning their perceived size closer to an ideal.
  • This bias may serve an adaptive function in maintaining a positive body image.
  • Understanding this bias offers insights into body image and eating disorder risk factors.