A Study Into Ethnic Origin And Ideal Body Shape.

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A Study Into Ethnic Origin And Ideal Body Shape

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Contents                  

  • Abstract                                                                                          
  • Introduction
  • Method
  • Results
  • Discussion
  • References
  • Appendices

Abstract

A study into ethnic origin and ideal body shape.

Aim

  • To determine if ethnic origin has an affect on a person’s ideal preferred body shape.

Hypothesis

  • I predict that ethnic origin will have no significant affect on preferred ideal body shape and any results showing that it does are coincidental and caused by chance factors

Procedures

  • 24 females were asked to complete a questionnaire which asked they’re age, gender, ethnic origin and what they’re ideal body shape was out of four varying silhouettes shown to them.

Findings

  • Females from the Black group chose a larger body shape than those originating from Western
  • Females from the group other chose an ideal body shape similar to that of female’s origination from Western society.
  • Females from the Asian group chose a body shape thinner than that of females originating from a western society

Implications of Findings

  • This study demonstrates how influential media images can be on a person’s perception of the ‘ideal body shape’ and how these images may contribute to a sense of dissatisfaction of one’s own body image.

1

Introduction

Investigating eating disorders directly is difficult due to its sensitivity, and as distorted body image is an important element of eating disorders, the research is designed to investigate preferred ideal body image as an alternative. Many cross-cultural studies have shown that eating disorders are more prevalent in Western societies (Europe, Canada, USA, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa). In all of these societies there is no food shortages and yet being attractive is associated with being slim. This indicates that there must be variables present in Western societies that are not in other countries. One of the most obvious is that Western societies are increasingly bombarded with images of ultra-slim models that promote the representation that ‘slim is beautiful’, at the same time levels of eating disorders have dramatically raised.

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  • Aim- To determine if ethnic origin has an affect on a person’s preferred ideal body shape.

It would be logical to assume that people who originate from countries outside of Western Society would have a larger ideal body shape than those originating from the United Kingdom. However, as my study will take place in the United Kingdom (a Western society)

  • Hypothesis- I predict that ethnic origin will have no significant affect on preferred ideal body shape and any results showing that it does are coincidental and caused by chance factors.

This null hypothesis is ...

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