DYSPHORIA AND BODY-IMAGE AMONG COLLEGE-WOMEN

The present study used a multidimensional approach to invesigate the relationship between dysphoria and body image in college women. Unlike earlier studies, the effects of body mass and eating disorder status were statistically controlled. Body image was measured in terms of three modalities: affective evaluation of appearance, cognitive appraisal of one's body relative to that of one's peers, and perceptual size estimation. Results indicated that there is a significant relationship between dysphoria and both affective and cognitive evaluations of one's body. There was no significant relationship between dysphoria and perceptual size estimation scores. These results lend support to the importance of the distinction between affective, cognitive, and perceptual modalities in the assessment of body image, as well as the importance of taking affective state into account when investigating the relationship between eating disorders and body image.