Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-16-2016
Publication Source
Mental Health, Religion & Culture
Volume Number
19
Issue Number
1
First Page
98
Last Page
111
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
ISSN
1367-4676
Abstract
Women who base their self-worth on appearance or others’ approval are especially vulnerable to low body esteem when they view media images of thin models. We explored one way religion might mitigate the harmful media effects in these women. We tested whether basing self-worth on appearance or others’ approval was positively related to body comparisons and body surveillance. We tested whether reading religious body-affirming statements enhanced feelings of being loved, which would increase body esteem in women who base self-worth on appearance or others’ approval. This experiment manipulated the type of body-affirming statements (religious, spiritual, control) and assessed women’s body esteem before and after they viewed thin models. Results showed basing self-worth on appearance or others’ approval was positively related to body comparisons and surveillance. Furthermore, reading religious body-affirmations increased feeling loved, which in turn increased weight esteem in women who based self-worth on appearance or others’ approval.
Keywords
religion; religiosity, spiritual, body-image, conditions of self-worth, women
Recommended Citation
Repository citation: Inman, Mary; Snyder, Anna; and Peprah, Kelvin, "Religious-body Affirmations Protect Body Esteem for Women Who Base Self-worth on Appearance or Others’ Approval" (2016). Faculty Publications. Paper 1462.
https://digitalcommons.hope.edu/faculty_publications/1462
Published in: Mental Health, Religion & Culture, Volume 19, Issue 1, March 16, 2016, pages 98-111. Copyright © 2016 Taylor & Francis.
Comments
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Mental Health, Religion & Culture on March 16, 2016, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/13674676.2015.1124634.