title: Negative body image and eating disorder symptomatology among young women identifying with goth subculture.
abstract: The present study compared the rates of negative body image and risk for disordered eating in young women who identify as part of goth subculture and a matched sample. Participants were 80 women who identified as part of goth subculture and a matched sample of 82 women from London, United Kingdom. Participants completed measures of self-ideal body size discrepancy, body appreciation, appearance investment, and eating disorder symptomatology. Between-group comparisons indicated that goth women reported significantly higher drive for thinness (d=0.51), body dissatisfaction (d=0.62), and dysfunctional appearance investment (d=0.52), as well as lower body appreciation (d=0.55), than the matched sample. Heightened expectations about appearance and self-presentation, alongside appearance competitiveness, may result in more negative body image and disordered eating in young women who identify with goth subculture, but further research is necessary on this under-studied youth subculture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK; Department of Psychology, HELP University College, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Electronic address: viren.swami@anglia.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Viren
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Swami
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D003469:Culture; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008131:London / Q000453:epidemiology; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012307:Risk Factors; D012933:Social Identification; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Appearance investment; Body appreciation; Eating disorders; Goth; Youth subculture