Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Preadolescents' Perceptions of Females' Body Size and Shape: Evolutionary and Social Learning Perspectives

  • Published:
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

One hundred and sixty-five Mexican American and Euro-American preadolescents' and their parents' perceptions of healthy and attractive female body sizes and shapes were examined in this study. Participants' perceptions of healthy and attractive female figures were assessed using a pictorial measure that systematically manipulated 3 levels of body size and 4 levels of body shape (i.e., waist-to-hip ratio; WHR). All participants tended to perceive females' with small WHRs as most healthy and attractive looking, while preadolescents expressed a preference for thinner female figures than did adults. Results further suggest that Euro-American and Mexican American participants report similar preferences for females' body sizes and shapes. However, little agreement was found between preadolescents' and their parents' preferences. Principles of evolutionary theory and social learning theory are used to interpret these findings, and implications for preadolescents' perceptions of their own developing bodies, body image, and related eating behaviors are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Altabe, M., and Thompson, K. J. (1993). Body image changes during early adulthood. Int. J. Eating Disord. 13(3): 323–328.

    Google Scholar 

  • Attie, I., and Brooks-Gunn, J. (1989). Development of eating problems in adolescent girls: A longitudinal study. Dev. Psychol. 25(1): 70–79.

    Google Scholar 

  • Attie, I., and Brooks-Gunn, J. (1995). The development of eating regulation across the life span. In Cicchetti, D., and Cohen, D. J. (eds.), Developmental Psychopathology: Vol. 2. Risk, Disorder, and Adaptation Wiley, New York, pp. 332–368.

    Google Scholar 

  • Birch, L. L, and Fisher, J. O. (1998). Development of eating behaviors among children and adolescents. Pediatrics 101: 539–549.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bjorntorp, P. (1988). The associations between obesity, adipose tissue distribution and disease. Acta Medica Scand. (Supp.), 723: 121–134.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bjorntorp, P. (1991). Adipose tissue distribution and function. Int. J. Obesity 15: 67–81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brooks-Gunn, J., and Reiter, E.O. (1990). The role of pubertal processes. In Feldman, S. S., and Elliot, G. R. (eds.), At The Threshold: The Developing Adolescent. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, pp. 16–53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, P. J., and Konner, M. (1987). An anthropological perspective on obesity. Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 499: 29–46.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Collins, E. M. (1991). Body figure perceptions and preferences among preadolescent children. Int. J. Eating Disord. 10(2): 199–208.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crago, M., Shisslak, C. M., and Estes, L. S. (1996). Eating disturbances among American minority groups: A review. Int. J. Eating Disord. 19(3): 239–248.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cramer, P., and Steimwert, T. (1998). Thin is good, fat is bad: How early does it begin? J. Appl. Develop. Psychol. 19(3): 429–451.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davison, K. K., Markey, C. N., and Birch, L. L. (2000). Etiology of Body Dissatisfaction andWeight Concerns among 5-year-old Girls. Appetite 35: 143–151.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dion, K. K. (1973). Young children's stereotyping of facial attractiveness. Dev. Psychol. 9(2): 183–188.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ericksen, A. J., Tinsley, B. J., and Markey, C.N. (2000). Body Image and Weight Concerns Among Euro-American and Mexican American Preadolescent Girls. Unpublished Manuscript.

  • Feldman, W., Feldman, E., and Goodman, J. T. (1988). Culture versus biology: Children's attitudes toward thinness and fatness. Pediatrics 81: 190–194.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Field, A. E., Cheung, L., Wolf, A. M., Herzog, D. B., Gortmaker, S. L., and Colditz, G. A. (1999). Exposre to the mass media and weight concerns among girls. Pediatrics 103(3): E36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Furnham, A., Hester, C., and Weir, C. (1990). Sex differences in the preferences for specific female body shapes. Sex Roles 22(11/12): 743–754.

    Google Scholar 

  • Furnham, A., Tan, T., and McManus, C. (1997). Waist-to-hip ratio and preferences for body shape:Areplication and extension. Pers. Indiv. Differ. 22(4): 539–549.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldfield, A. and Chrisler, J. C. (1995). Body stereotyping and stigmatization of obese persons by first graders. Percept. Mot. Skills 81: 909–910.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gordon, R. A. (2000). Eating Disorders: Anatomy of a Social Epidemic (2nd edn.). Blackwell Publishers, Malden, MA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harter, S. (1990). Developmental differences in the nature of selfrepresentations: Implications for the understanding, assessment and treatment of maladaptive behavior. Cogn. Ther. Res. 14: 113–142.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harter, S. (1998). The development of self-representations. In Damon, W., and Eisenberg, N. (Eds.) Handbook of Child Psychology (5th edn., Vol. 3) Wiley, New York, pp. 553–617.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henss, R. (1995). Waist-to-hip ratio and attractiveness: Replication and extension. Pers. Indiv. Differ. 19(4): 479-488.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, L. A., and McGill, O. D. (1996). Body typed preferences and body characteristics associated with attractive and unattractive bodies by African Americans and Anglo Americans. Sex Roles 35(5/6): 295–307.

    Google Scholar 

  • Joiner, G. W., and Kashubeck, S. (1996). Acculturation, body image, self-esteem, and eating-disorder symptomatology in adolescent Mexican American women. Psychol. Women Q. 20: 419–435.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, P. R. M., Hunt, M. J., Brown, T. P., and Norgan, N. G. (1986). Waist-hip circumference ratio and its relation to age and overweight in British men. Human Nutr. Clin. Nutr. 40C: 239–247.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klesges, R. C., Malott, J. M., Boschee, P. F., and Weber, J. M. (1986). The effects of parental influences on children's food intake, physical activity, and relative weight. Int. J. Eating Disord. 5(2): 335–346.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lake, A. J., Staiger, P. K., and Glosinski, H. (2000). Effect of Western culture on women's attitudes to eating and perceptions of body shape. Int. J. Eating Disord. 27(1): 83–89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Langlois, J. H., and Roggman, L. A. (1990). Attractive faces are only average. Psychol. Sci. 1: 115–121.

    Google Scholar 

  • Langlois, J. H., Roggman, L. A., and Musselman, L. (1994). What is average and what is not average about attractive faces? Psychol. Sci. 5: 214–220.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lerner, R. M., and Gellert, E. (1969). Body build identification, preference, and aversion in children. Dev. Psychol. 1(5): 456–462.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lohman, T. G., Roche, A. F., and Martorell, M. (1988). Anthropometric Standardization Reference Manual. Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maloney, M. J., McGuire, J., Daniels, S. R., and Specker, B. (1989). Dieting behavior and eating attitudes in children. Pediatrics 84: 482–489.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marín, G., and Marín, B.V. (1991). Research with Hispanic Populations. Sage, Newbury Park.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin, J. E. (1989). The role of body image in the development of bulimia. Brit. J. Occup. Ther. 52(7): 262–265.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pike, K. M., and Rodin, J. (1991). Mothers, daughters, and disordered eating. J. Abnorm. Psychol. 100(2): 198–204.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pliner, P., Chaiken, S., and Flett, G. L. (1990). Gender differences in concern with body weight and physical appearance over the life span. Pers. Soc. Psychol. Bull. 16(2): 263–273.

    Google Scholar 

  • Powers, P. S. (1980). Obesity: The regulation of weight. Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore.

    Google Scholar 

  • Powers, P. D., and Erickson, M. T. (1986). Body-image in women and its relationship to self-image and body satisfaction. J. Obesity and Weight Regul. 5(1): 37–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Radke-Sharpe, N., Whitney-Saltiel, D., and Rodin, J. (1990). Fat distribution as a risk factor for weight and eating concerns. Int. J. Eating Disord. 9(1): 27–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rolland, K., Farnhill, D., and Griffiths, R. A. (1996). Children's perceptions of their current and ideal body sizes and body mass index. Percep. Mot. Skills 82: 651–656.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rolland, K., Farnhill, D., and Griffiths, R. A. (1997). Body figure perceptions and eating attitudes among Australian schoolchildren aged 8 to 12 years. Int. J. Eating Disord. 21: 273–278.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenblum, G. D., and Lewis, M. (1999). The relations among body image, physical attractiveness, and body mass index in adolescence. Child Dev. 70(1): 50–64.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rudofsky, B. (1972). The Unfashionable Human Body. Doubleday, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh, D. (1993). Adaptive significance of female physical attractiveness: Role of waist-to hip ratio. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 65(2): 293–307.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Singh, D. (1994a). Body fat distribution and perception of desirable female body shape by young black men and women. Int. J. Eating Disord. 16(3): 289–294.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh, D. (1994b). Ideal female body shape: Role of body weight and waist-to-hip ratio. Int. J. Eating Disord. 16(3): 283–288.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh, D. (1994c). Is thin really beautiful and good? Relationship between waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and female attractiveness. Pers. Indiv. Differ. 16(1): 123–132.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh, D., and Luis, S. (1995). Ethnic and gender consensus for the effect of waist-to-hip ratio on judgement of women's attractiveness. Hum. Nat. 6(1): 51–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Slap, G. B., Khalid, N., Paikoff, R. L., Brooks-Gunn, J. (1994). Evolving self-image, pubertal manifestations, and pubertal hormones: Preliminary findings in young adolescent girls. J. Adolesc. Health 15(4): 327–335.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stice, E. (1998). Modeling of eating pathology and social reinforcement of the thin-ideal predict onset of bulimic symptoms. Behav. Res. Ther. 36(10): 931–944.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Striegel-Moore, R. H., and Smolak, L. (2000). The influence of ethnicity on eating disorders in women. In Eisler, R. M., and Hersen, M. (eds.) Handbook of Gender, Culture, and Health. Lawrence, Mahwah, NJ, pp. 227–253.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, S. H., Corwin, S. J., and Sargent, R. G. (1997). Ideal body size beliefs and weight concerns of fourth grade children. Int. J. Eating Disord. 21(3): 279–284.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tinsley, B. J. (1992). Multiple influeces on the acquisition and socialization of children's health attitudes and behavior: An integrative review. Child Dev. 63(5): 1043–1069.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Winkleby,M. A., Gardener,C. D., and Taylor, C.B. (1996). The influence of gender and socioeconomic factors on Hispanic/White differences in body mass index. Prev. Med. 25: 203–211.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wiseman, L. V., Gray, J. J., Mosimann, J. E., and Ahrens, A. H. (1992). Cultural expectations of thinness in women: An update. Int. J. Eating Disord. 11(1): 85–89.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, California

    Charlotte N. Markey (Doctoral candidate)

  2. Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, California

    Barbara J. Tinsley (Professor)

  3. Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, California

    Andrea J. Ericksen (Doctoral candidate)

  4. University of California, Riverside, California

    Daniel J. Ozer (Associate Professor)

  5. University of California, Riverside, California

    Patrick M. Markey (Doctoral candidate)

Authors
  1. Charlotte N. Markey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Barbara J. Tinsley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Andrea J. Ericksen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Daniel J. Ozer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Patrick M. Markey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Markey, C.N., Tinsley, B.J., Ericksen, A.J. et al. Preadolescents' Perceptions of Females' Body Size and Shape: Evolutionary and Social Learning Perspectives. Journal of Youth and Adolescence 31, 137–146 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014022010577

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014022010577

Search

Navigation