Coping with Body Image Threats among College Women: The Swimsuit Problem

K. Bailey, Larkin Lamarche and Kimberley Gammage

International Journal of Psychological Studies, 2014, vol. 6, issue 2, 19

Abstract: This study explored college women’s (N = 104) strategies for coping with a high- and low-social-evaluativebody image threat. Using an experimental design, participants read and imagined themselves in one of twoscenarios- a high-social-evaluative body image threat condition (modeling a swimsuit in front of friends) or alow-social-evaluative body image threat condition (modeling a swimsuit alone) and described strategies formanaging these situations. An inductive and deductive thematic approach was used to analyze the writtenresponses. In order of frequency, the following themes were found for the high-social-evaluative threat condition-avoidance, appeasement, positive rational acceptance, social support, and social comparison. In order offrequency for the low-social-evaluative condition the following themes were found- appeasement, positiverational acceptance, avoidance, social support, outsider’s opinion, and social comparison. Overall, maladaptivestrategies for managing body image stressors (avoidance and appeasement) were reported the most frequentlyacross conditions.

Date: 2014
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