While a large body of literature has explored the relationship between peer influence and body dissatisfaction in adolescents, limited research exists in adults. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between peer influence and body dissatisfaction in adults and to investigate whether this relationship would be strengthened by one’s susceptibility to peer influence.
Methods
179 adult participants completed an online survey.
Results
Multiple hierarchical regression identified that whilst peer influence was associated with body dissatisfaction, susceptibility to peer influence did not contribute to the strength of this relationship.
Discussion
The current findings identified that peer influence in the form of exposure and engagement with peers surrounding topics of appearance, weight and shape, was a significant contributor of body dissatisfaction. A greater susceptibility to peer influence was not shown to strengthen this relationship suggesting that the effect that susceptibility to peer influence has may differ depending on the scenario and context. The findings have important implications for educating adults on the impact that their appearance and weight related discussions and behaviours may have on their peers.
Haworth-HoeppnerS. The critical shapes of body image: the role of culture and family in the production of eating disorders. J Marriage Fam2000; 62: 212–237.
2.
MarksRJDe FoeACollettJ. The pursuit of wellness: social media, body image and eating disorders. Child Youth Serv Rev2020; 119: 105659.
3.
PappIUrbánRCzeglédiE, et al.Testing the tripartite influence model of body image and eating disturbance among Hungarian adolescents. Body Image2013; 10: 232–242.
4.
ThompsonJKHeinbergLJAltabeM, et al.Exacting beauty: theory, assessment, and treatment of body image disturbance. American Psychological Association, 1999.
5.
AtaRNLuddenABLallyMM. The effects of gender and family, friend, and media influences on eating behaviors and body image during adolescence. J Youth Adolesc2007; 36: 1024–1037.
6.
JonesDCCrawfordJK. The peer appearance culture during adolescence: gender and body mass variations. J Youth Adolesc2006; 35: 243–255.
7.
KennyUO’Malley-KeighranMPMolchoM, et al.Peer influences on adolescent body image: friends or foes?J Adolesc Res2017; 32: 768–799.
8.
MateraCNeriniAStefanileC. The role of peer influence on girls’ body dissatisfaction and dieting. Eur Rev Appl Psychol2013; 63: 67–74.
9.
LawlerMNixonE. Body dissatisfaction among adolescent boys and girls: the effects of body mass, peer appearance culture and internalization of appearance ideals. J Youth Adolesc2011; 40: 59–71, *[verify EP]*.
10.
BanduraAMcDonaldFJ. Influence of social reinforcement and the behaviour of models in shaping children’s moral judgment. J Abnorm Psychol1963; 67: 274–281, *[or check actual end page]*.
11.
JonesRMSomervilleLHLiJ, et al.Behavioral and neural properties of social reinforcement learning. J Neurosci2011; 31: 13039–13045.
12.
WebbHJZimmer-GembeckMJDonovanCL. The appearance culture between friends and adolescent appearance-based rejection sensitivity. J Adolesc2014; 37: 347–358.
13.
LiebermanMGauvinLBukowskiWM, et al.Interpersonal influence and disordered eating behaviors in adolescent girls: the role of peer modeling, social reinforcement, and body-related teasing. Eat Behav2001; 2: 215–236.
14.
SticeE. Modeling of eating pathology and social reinforcement of the thin-ideal predict onset of bulimic symptoms. Behav Res Ther1998; 36: 931–944.
15.
ShroffHThompsonJK. Peer influences, body-image dissatisfaction, eating dysfunction and self-esteem in adolescent girls. J Health Psychol2006; 11: 533–551.
16.
JonesDCVigfusdottirTHLeeY. Body image and the appearance culture among adolescent girls and boys: an examination of friend conversations, peer criticism, appearance magazines, and the internalization of appearance ideals. J Adolesc Res2004; 19: 323–339.
17.
CareyRNDonaghueNBroderickP. Peer culture and body image concern among Australian adolescent girls: a hierarchical linear modelling analysis. Sex Roles2013; 69: 250–263.
18.
MillsJFuller-TyszkiewiczM. Fat talk and body image disturbance: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychol Women Q2017; 41: 114–129.
19.
Amaya-HernándezAAlvarez-RayónGOrtega-LuyandoM, et al.Peer influence in preadolescents and adolescents: a predictor of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviours. Revista Mexicana de Trastornos Alimentarios2017; 8: 31–39.
20.
CashT. Developmental teasing about physical appearance: retrospective descriptions and relationships with body image. Soc Behav Pers1995; 23: 123–130.
21.
ClarkLTiggemannM. Appearance culture in nine-to 12-year-old girls: media and peer influences on body dissatisfaction. Soc Dev2006; 15: 628–643.
22.
OliverKKThelenMH. Children’s perceptions of peer influence on eating concerns. Behav Ther1996; 27: 25–39.
23.
PharesVSteinbergARThompsonJK. Gender differences in peer and parental influences: body image disturbance, self-worth, and psychological functioning in preadolescent children. J Youth Adolesc2004; 33: 421–429.
24.
JavierSJBelgraveFZ. An examination of influences on body dissatisfaction among Asian American college females: do family, media, or peers play a role?J Am Coll Health2015; 63: 579–583.
25.
Fitzsimmons-CraftEEHarneyMBKoehlerLG, et al.Explaining the relation between thin ideal internalization and body dissatisfaction among college women: the roles of social comparison and body surveillance. Body Image2012; 9: 43–49.
26.
McArdleKAHillMS. Understanding body dissatisfaction in gay and heterosexual men: the roles of self-esteem, media, and peer influence. Men Masculinities2009; 11: 511–532.
27.
AllenJPChangoJSzwedoD, et al.Predictors of susceptibility to peer influence regarding substance use in adolescence. Child Dev2012; 83: 337–350.
28.
SteinbergLMonahanKC. Age differences in resistance to peer influence. Dev Psychol2007; 43: 1531–1543.
29.
WidmanLChoukas-BradleySHelmsSW, et al.Adolescent susceptibility to peer influence in sexual situations. J Adolesc Health2016; 58: 323–329.
30.
ChenBBShiZWangY. Do peers matter? Resistance to peer influence as a mediator between self-esteem and procrastination among undergraduates. Front Psychol2016; 7: 1529.
31.
DuBoisDLSilverthornN. Do deviant peer associations mediate the contributions of self-esteem to problem behaviour during early adolescence? A 2-year longitudinal study. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol2004; 33: 382–388.
32.
GardnerMSteinbergL. Peer influence on risk taking, risk preference, and risky decision making in adolescence and adulthood: an experimental study. Dev Psychol2005; 41: 625–635.
33.
PasupathiM. Age differences in response to conformity pressure for emotional and non-emotional material. Psychol Aging1999; 14: 170–174.
34.
KimJH. Multicollinearity and misleading statistical results. Korean J Anesthesiol2019; 72: 558–569.
35.
TabachnickBGFidellLSUllmanJB. Using multivariate statistics 5th edPearson, 2007.
36.
LevineMPSmolakLHaydenH. The relation of sociocultural factors to eating attitudes and behaviors among middle school girls. J Early Adolesc1994; 14: 471–490.
37.
Tantleff-DunnSBarnesRDLaroseJG. It’s not just a “woman thing:” the current state of normative discontent. Eat Disord2011; 19: 392–402.
38.
BrooksAT. Aesthetic anti-ageing surgery and technology: women’s friend or foe?Sociol Health Illn2010; 32: 238–257.
39.
HofmeierSMRunfolaCDSalaM, et al.Body image, aging, and identity in women over 50: the gender and body image (GABI) study. J Women Aging2017; 29: 3–14.
40.
QuittkatHLHartmannASDüsingR, et al.Body dissatisfaction, importance of appearance, and body appreciation in men and women over the lifespan. Front Psychiatr2019; 10: 864.
41.
SumterSRBokhorstCLSteinbergL, et al.The developmental pattern of resistance to peer influence in adolescence: will the teenager ever be able to resist?J Adolesc2009; 32: 1009–1021.
42.
DiGuiseppiGTMeiselMKBalestrieriSG, et al.Resistance to peer influence moderates the relationship between perceived (but not actual) peer norms and binge drinking in a college student social network. Addict Behav2018; 80: 47–52.
43.
DuellNClaytonMGTelzerEH, et al.Measuring peer influence susceptibility to alcohol use: convergent and predictive validity of a new analogue assessment. Int J Behav Dev2022; 46: 190–199.
44.
McCoySSDimlerLMSamuelsDV, et al.Adolescent susceptibility to deviant peer pressure: does gender matter?Adolesc Res Rev2019; 4: 59–71.
45.
HanishLDMartinCLFabesRA, et al.Exposure to externalizing peers in early childhood: homophily and peer contagion processes. J Abnorm Child Psychol2005; 33: 267–281.
46.
RoseAJRudolphKD. A review of sex differences in peer relationship processes: potential trade-offs for the emotional and behavioral development of girls and boys. Psychol Bull2006; 132: 98–131.
47.
McCrearyDRSasseDK. An exploration of the drive for muscularity in adolescent boys and girls. J Am Coll Health2000; 48: 297–304.
48.
SmolakLSteinJA. The relationship of drive for muscularity to sociocultural factors, self-esteem, physical attributes gender role, and social comparison in middle school boys. Body Image2006; 3: 121–129.
49.
DrewnowskiAYeeDK. Men and body image: are males satisfied with their body weight?Psychosom Med1987; 49: 626–634.
50.
McKayAMooreSKubikW. Western beauty pressures and their impact on young university women. Int J Gend Women’s Stud2018; 6: 1–11.
51.
TylkaTL. The relation between body dissatisfaction and eating disorder symptomatology: an analysis of moderating variables. J Counsel Psychol2004; 51: 178–191.
