Selective memory biases for words reflecting sex-specific body image concerns.
Women show "fear of fatness" and men a "drive for muscularity." Moreover, women perceive themselves as larger and men more muscular than they actually are. We tested potential memory biases congruent with these sex-specific body image concerns. Free recall performance for weight-related and muscle-related positive and negative words was assessed in 40 healthy undergraduate students (20 men). Men revealed a recall advantage for positive muscle words, while women showed a general advantage for positive and negative weight-related words. Thus, men revealed a memory bias congruent with their personal preference (more muscular), while women showed a general memory bias for weight information independent of their personal preference of being thinner. The absence of a positive memory bias in women might explain the higher incidence of body dissatisfaction and eating disorders in this population.
Unterhalter
Gina
G
Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, 12a Priory Road, Bristol BS8 1TU Bristol, UK.
Farrell
Simon
S
Mohr
Christine
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D001828:Body Image; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D053580:Muscle Strength; D012660:Semantics; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D013851:Thinness / Q000523:psychology; D014706:Verbal Learning