Women's perceptions of their bodies: Discrepancies between self-appraisals and reflected appraisals

Previous research has revealed that some women rate their physique differently from how they believe others perceive them. This study examined the nature of this discrepancy, relying on research on self-verification and self-enhancement regarding how people respond to consistent vs. enhancing self-relevant information. Participants received feedback about their appearance that was either congruent with their self-appraisal, congruent with their reflected appraisal, or more positive than their self-appraisal. Affectively, participants responded to positive feedback more favorably than negative feedback, regardless of the direction of their discrepancy. For perceived accuracy, participants who rated themselves heavier than they thought other people see them responded more favorably to self-enhancing feed-back, while participants who rated themselves thinner than they thought others see them responded more favorably to self-verifying feedback.

Duke Scholars

Author Mark R. Leary Psychology & Neuroscience