Strong is the New Skinny, but is it Ideal?: A Test of the Tripartite Influence Model using a new Measure of Fit-Ideal Internalisation

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
File version

Accepted Manuscript (AM)

Author(s)
Donovan, Caroline L
Uhlmann, Laura R
Loxton, Natalie J
Primary Supervisor
Other Supervisors
Editor(s)
Date
2020
Size
File type(s)
Location
License
Abstract

Although the thin body ideal has been the epitome of western female beauty for decades, the more recent fit body ideal is becoming arguably more popular. This study aimed to test two versions of the tripartite influence model (TIM; Thompson, Heinberg, Altabe, & Tantleff-Dunn, 1999): one that included thin-ideal internalisation, and one that included fit-ideal internalisation, using path analysis. Participants were 558 Australian women aged 16-50 years (M = 22.06, SD = 7.41). All of the hypothesised paths were significant for both the thin- and fit-ideal internalisation models. The final models for both thin- and fit-ideal internalisation included extra, non-hypothesised paths from media to body dissatisfaction, and from social comparison to dieting, bulimic symptoms, and compulsive exercise. The two models differed in that the final model for thin-ideal internalisation included direct paths from thin-ideal internalisation to dieting and bulimic symptoms. The final model for fit-ideal internalisation, however, included a direct path from fit-ideal internalisation to compulsive exercise. It was concluded that, in contrast to the widely held perception that the fit ideal is a ‘healthier’ alternative to the thin ideal, fit ideal internalisation may be detrimental to female body satisfaction, disordered eating, and compulsive exercise.

Journal Title

Body Image

Conference Title
Book Title
Edition
Volume

35

Issue
Thesis Type
Degree Program
School
Publisher link
Patent number
Funder(s)
Grant identifier(s)
Rights Statement
Rights Statement

© 2020 Elsevier. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, providing that the work is properly cited.

Item Access Status
Note
Access the data
Related item(s)
Subject

Social psychology

Public health

Sociology

Social and personality psychology

Social Sciences

Science & Technology

Life Sciences & Biomedicine

Psychology, Clinical

Psychiatry

Persistent link to this record
Citation

Donovan, CL; Uhlmann, LR; Loxton, NJ, Strong is the New Skinny, but is it Ideal?: A Test of the Tripartite Influence Model using a new Measure of Fit-Ideal Internalisation, Body Image, 2020, 35, pp. 171-180

Collections