Examining University Men’s Psychobiological and Behavioral Response-Recovery Profile From a Social-Evaluative Body Image Threat

Negative body image, which often results from social-evaluative body image threats, is common in young men and related to many harmful outcomes. Using social self-preservation theory (SSPT), the present study investigated the psychobiological (i.e., shame and cortisol) and behavioral (e.g., submissi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of men's health 2020-03, Vol.14 (2), p.1557988320910831-1557988320910831
Main Authors: Smyth, Aidan P. J., Gammage, Kimberley L., Lamarche, Larkin, Muir, Cameron
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Hormones
Mens health
Original
Psychobiology
Self image
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Summary:Negative body image, which often results from social-evaluative body image threats, is common in young men and related to many harmful outcomes. Using social self-preservation theory (SSPT), the present study investigated the psychobiological (i.e., shame and cortisol) and behavioral (e.g., submission) response-recovery profile to a social-evaluative body image threat in university men. Participants (N = 69; Mage = 20.80 years, SD = 1.84) were randomly assigned to a high-threat (n = 34) or low-threat condition (n = 35). Men in the high-threat condition reported greater post-threat body shame, had greater post-threat cortisol levels, and exhibited more shame-relevant behaviors than men in the low-threat condition. There were no significant differences between conditions for body shame or cortisol at the final post-threat time point (after resting for 30 min). These findings are consistent with SSPT and suggest that men respond to, and recover from, body image threats relatively efficiently.
ISSN:1557-9883
1557-9891
DOI:10.1177/1557988320910831