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A measure of body image as a predictor of cognitive response to health-related persuasive communication
Abstract
This study tested the hypothesis that an individual's perception of their physical self--their body image--influences the extent to which they think about a health-related persuasive communication. More specifically, it tested the null hypothesis that a measure of body image and a measure of cognitive response to health-related persuasive communication are not significantly related among either male or female subjects. To test the hypothesis, a group of 112 college students were administered two self-report tests: one measured the degree of cognitive response to a series of health-related persuasive communications and the other elicited satisfaction with body image. Cognitive response was measured using a thought-listing technique. Body image was measured using a 25-question, self-rating (6-point scale) of different body parts and attributes. The summed thought-listing scores and the mean body satisfaction scores were computed for each subject. A principal components analysis was performed on both the body image satisfaction and the cognitive response scores. The resulting components were correlated and a multiple linear regression performed with the cognitive response components used as the dependent variables and the body image components as the independent variables. The analysis showed that there was a moderate correlation, substantial relationship between a cognitive response component (Positive Cognitive Response to Cosmetic Surgery) and a body image component (Satisfaction with Body Size). In addition, the regression confirmed the existence of a linear relationship between the two components. The research results support the hypothesis that an individual's perception of body image can be a motivating factor in cognitively processing health-related persuasive communication. Furthermore, the research demonstrates the applicability of a body image measure as a factor that modifies, either positively or negatively, an individual's perception of specific health-related issues.
Subject Area
Mass communications|Public health|Personality psychology
Recommended Citation
Ristino, Robert Jerome, "A measure of body image as a predictor of cognitive response to health-related persuasive communication" (1991). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9120932.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9120932