Weight and social comparison: Does the weight of a stranger affect a person’s perception of their own weight

Health Psychology Open

Vibeke TornhøjChristensen¹ 

关键词: body mass index;    gender;    social comparison;    social context;    weight perception;   

DOI  :  10.1177/2055102918819260

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Sage Journals

【 摘 要 】

Research suggests that social context affects individuals’ perception of their own weight. Using face-to-face interviews as the social context, we analyze the effect of interviewers’ (N = 90) body mass index on respondents’ (N = 3068) self-perceived weight level. Respondents reported a higher weight level when the interviewer had a higher body mass index (absolute social comparison). Female respondents reported a lower weight level if interviewers had a higher body mass index than they did (relative social comparison). Results suggest that weight perception reflects both absolute and relative social comparison, especially among women. Future research should consider causation and self-selection when studying social context and body image.

【 授权许可】

CC BY-NC