What is and what is not positive body image? Conceptual foundations and construct definition.
A decade ago, research on positive body image as a unique construct was relatively nonexistent, and now this area is flourishing. How and why did positive body image scholarship emerge? What is known about this contemporary construct? This article situates and contextualizes positive body image within Cash's scholarship, eating disorder prevention efforts, feminist influences, strength-based disciplines within psychology, and Buddhism. Extracting insights from quantitative and qualitative research, this article demonstrates that positive body image is (a) distinct from negative body image; (b) multifaceted (including body appreciation, body acceptance/love, conceptualizing beauty broadly, adaptive investment in appearance, inner positivity, interpreting information in a body-protective manner); (c) holistic; (d) stable and malleable; (e) protective; (f) linked to self-perceived body acceptance by others; and (g) shaped by social identities. Complementing what positive body image is, this article further details what positive body image is not to provide a more nuanced understanding of this construct.
Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus and Marion Campuses, Columbus, OH, United States. Electronic address: tylka.2@osu.edu.
Tracy L
TL
Tylka
The Center for Balanced Living, Columbus, OH, United States.
Nichole L
NL
Wood-Barcalow
D057215:Body Dysmorphic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012106:Research; D012649:Self Concept; D012928:Social Desirability; D012933:Social Identification
Body appreciation; Construct definition; Embodiment; Foundations; Positive body image; Protective factors