Personality and body image have been shown to correlate. Body image includes two
main components, namely perceptual, i.e., self-perception of body size, and attitudinal,
i.e., evaluation of body attractiveness. However, few studies have examined personality
variables as temporal antecedents and correlates of each body image component, in
nonclinical adolescents, in order to determine whether or not they differ.
The present 5-wave longitudinal study aimed to inspect the personality variables as
temporal antecedents of body image components across time, in nonclinical
adolescents.
A previous study on nonclinical adolescents supported the 2 components of body image
underlying attitudinal, i.e. the Body Uneasiness Test scales, and perceptual measures,
i.e. the Contour Drawing Rating Scales and the discrepancy indices for ideal body mass
index. For the present study, regression factor scores were used as indicators of body
image components.
Participants were teenagers aged from 14 to 18 (N = 97, 63.9% boys) who participated
at baseline and were followed up 6-month apart for 2-yr. They self-reported on Eating
Disorder Inventory-2 Ineffectiveness and Perfectionism scales, Minnesota Multiphasic
Personality Inventory for Adolescence Obsessiveness and Depression scales, and
Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scales (global and reflected).
Results from hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that Obsessiveness was a
stable predictor of increases in attitudinal domain, i.e. negative attitudes toward body,
after 6, 18 and 24 months, whereas Depression predicted obese body weight and shape
perceptions along with thinner ideal weight and shape, i.e. perceptual domain, after 1-yr
only.
Overall, results showed that the components of body image have different predictors by
revealing that obsessiveness played a role in predicting the attitudinal domain, while
depression anticipated the perceptual domain. Consistent with previous studies, our
findings demonstrate that obsessiveness is the most robust predictor of negative
attitudes towards the body in nonclinical adolescents over time, which has clinical
implications for prevention programs.
