Abstract
The present study examined the effect of feminist ascription on perceptions of the physical attractiveness of women ranging in body mass index (BMI). One-hundred and twenty-nine women who self-identified as feminists and 132 who self-identified as non-feminists rated a series of 10 images of women that varied in BMI from emaciated to obese. Results showed no significant differences between feminist and non-feminists in the figure they considered to be maximally attractive. However, feminists were more likely to positively perceive a wider range of body sizes than non-feminists. These results are discussed in relation to possible protective factors against the internalisation of the thin ideal and body objectification.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 224-229 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Body Image |
| Volume | 5 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jun 2008 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Body objectification
- Feminism
- Physical attractiveness
- Thin ideal