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The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with young adults' concerns about age related changes in body image and their anticipated impact on psychosocial functioning. One hundred and sixty-seven college students completed the Body Image and Aging Survey, designed to assess age related issues in body image, the Peer Dieting Survey, the Bulimia and Drive for Thinness subscales of the Eating Disorders Inventory II (EDI II), and the Zung Self Rating Depression Inventory. Results indicated significant correlations between the EDI II Bulimia subscale and the perception of future psychosocial functioning, as well as the consideration of surgical and non-surgical procedures to hide the physical signs of aging. Compared to males, females viewed a number of coping strategies as potentially more effective in dealing with changes in appearance, but also believed that age related changes in appearance would be more important in determining body satisfaction. Females were also more likely to consider cosmetic surgery, anti-aging strategies, and natural strategies to resist age related appearance changes. These findings suggest that while both genders have negative expectations about the effects of age related changes in appearance, females perceive aging as having a greater impact on overall attractiveness. (Contains 12 references.) (Author/JDM)

This study surveys African Americans to assess perceptions of and life experiences with the issue of skin tone. Thirty-seven African American adults agreed to complete a survey packet and participate in a semi-structured focus group discussion. Participants completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure, the Skin Color Assessment Procedure and Skin Color Questionnaire,and a demographic sheet. The findings appear to indicate that African Americans are indeed aware of and can articulate the ways in which skin tone affects their lives. Results indicate significant relationships between idealized skin tones and self-perceptions of and satisfaction with skin tone. Other significant relationships include global ethnic identity, education levels, parental education levels, and personal income. Focus group analysis indicates the ascription of traits based on skin tone and the significance of skin tone in familial, professional, and social experiences. The study recommends that mental health professionals be aware of the issue of color consciousness so that it may be addressed in counseling. Counselors and counseling psychologists can assist in efforts to educate African Americans to recognize, acknowledge, and directly address issues of skin tone both within and across racial groups. (Contains 19 references.) (GCP)

Given that young people are extremely concerned with how they appear socially, beguiling and glamorous portrayals of smokers in recent films may be contributing to the continual rise in college student smoking. The pervasive positive depiction of smokers as attractive and appealing easily preys on young people who lack confidence and self esteem. It is imperative to assess whether the trend of increased smoking among youth is continuing so that steps can be taken to reverse it. This study focuses on portrayals of smokers and smoking for movies released between 1996 and 1999. A group of trained raters evaluated five movies for each year. The movies were examined for relevant characteristics, including movie genre, approximate running time, and total number of cigarettes seen during the film. Demographics, including age, gender, and smoking status, were recorded for first, second, and third leading characters. Characters were evaluated on several dimensions, including: insecure/confident, unattractive/attractive, unintelligent/intelligent, and unpopular/popular. Results show that 75% of the movies sampled depicted cigarette smoking. Approximately 20% of the leading characters, of whom 85% were male, smoked cigarettes; 26% of the second and third main characters smoked. Among secondary main characters, more males than females smoked; among tertiary main characters, smoking was equal for males and females. Comparisons of personality ratings for smoking versus nonsmoking characters showed significant differences on two variables. Nonsmoking characters were viewed as more considerate and less selfish than smoking characters; although not significant, there was also a trend for nonsmokers to be viewed as more kind and less cruel. (Contains 32 references.) (MKA)

This study examines counselor characteristics, especially how the characteristics factor into the helping relationship. Prior research on this topic has been couched in the social psychology research on personal attraction and relationship development, which suggests that credibility, attractiveness, and influence are functions of the degree of similarity between source and receiver. The purpose of the study was to investigate the similarity and repulsion hypotheses, to discuss the implications for school counselors, and to establish from a representative at-risk high school sample, rank orderings of characteristics desired in counselors. Few studies have been conducted with high school students, and particularly none with high-risk students. The Preferences for School Counselor Characteristics was constructed and administered. Data from the study supported the similarity and revulsion hypotheses. Rank order preferences for counselor characteristics was consistent with previous reports of rankings from minority groups. It concludes that the study may have significance due to the very nature of counseling in the schools. Armed with the knowledge that students may prefer counselors similar to themselves, particularly as related to attitudes and values, the school counselors can begin to understand why some segments of the student body underuse counseling services. (Contains 10 references and two tables.) (JDM)

Despite abundant research relating physical attractiveness and social skill, no studies have systematically assessed the influence of social behavior on perceived attractiveness. This study experimentally investigated how exposure to positive, negative, and neutral childhood behaviors influences ratings of physical attractiveness and other social judgments known to co-exist within the attractiveness stereotype. The study further examined whether social behavior might moderate the effects of attractive or unattractive appearance over time. Participating were 111 Caucasian and 64 Non-Caucasian fourth- and fifth-grade girls, randomly assigned to rate the attractiveness, intelligence, popularity, and likability of either a facially attractive or an unattractive stimulus girl shown in a video still photograph. Participants were then randomly assigned to view the same stimulus girl in a series of 10 videotaped vignettes in which she interacted with a peer in either a positive, negative, or neutral manner. After viewing the videos, subjects completed the rating a second time. The results indicated that attractiveness was highly correlated with judgments of intelligence, popularity, and likability based on photographs prior to exposure to behavior, with correlations ranging from .59 to .77. Further, behavior was a strongly moderating factor in peer judgments. Positive behavior increased and negative behavior decreased ratings of attractiveness and other social judgments regardless of the attractiveness level of the stimulus girl. Neutral behavior frequently had a positive effect on attractiveness ratings and social judgments for the unattractive stimulus girl. (Contains 11 references.) (Author/KB)

The placement of ninth-grade students has often been a decision based upon available resources and not the best interests of the students. This study provides some evidence of the different influences of three types of ninth-grade placement. Self-perception data were collected for 161 randomly selected eighth-grade students in middle school placement. These measures were administered to the same students one year later after they had been placed in three different ninth grade settings (high school, middle school, and ninth-grade only center). Results were analyzed by t-test and pre- and post-test mean difference effect sizes. High school, and to a lesser degree ninth-grade only placement, resulted in systematically higher levels of satisfaction than students who remained in a middle school setting. Neither systematic nor statistically significant differences were found in domains of self-perception by type of ninth-grade setting. Appendixes are: Student Satisfaction Survey and Self-Perception Profile. (Contains 1 figure and 16 charts.) (Author/MKA)

Until recently, understanding about women's health has been traditionally mediated by the medical model, which tends to regard each health problem in a vacuum. Such an approach ignored important considerations, such as body image. In an effort to explore this health factor, a review of the literature regarding women's health and its relation to body image is presented here. The paper examines the concept of women's body image, including the obsession with thinness, the beauty myth, media impact, the commodification and objectification of women, pornography, the rape myth, women's self-worth, and multicultural differences in body image. The desire to be thin is rampant in U.S. society and the next section examines eating disorders and body image. Some of the issues covered include: the epidemiology and etiology of eating disorders and their pervasiveness on college campuses. Sexual violence is also a growing problem and some of the factors associated with this statistic, such as the rape trauma syndrome and coping with sexual violence, are discussed. Another contextual problem connected to body image is substance abuse, particularly the abuse of alcohol, as well as depression, anxiety, and sexuality. Some practice implications for counselors in how to address these various issues are outlined. (RJM)

A study explored the degree to which males and females engage in social comparisons and the underlying factors that comprise and relate to social comparisons with advertising images for both boys and girls. Data were gathered from a sample of 225 females and 214 males between the ages of 15 and 18 from a midwestern high school. The same survey was administered to both boys and girls. This scale of social comparison contained 18 items reflective of the information and evaluation dimensions of the construct. Public self-consciousness and self-esteem were also measured. Satisfaction with appearance was measured with a set of 4 items logically derived for the purposes of this study. Tendency to fantasize was measured by a 4-item set of questions. Consistent with expectations, the frequency with which girls engage in ad-inspired social comparison was dramatically higher than that reported by boys. Considering that beauty is an admirable and enviable attribute for women in this society (ingrained at an early age), and that beauty is a salient attribute in many ads, it is not surprising that girls are more intrigued by and more interactive with ads that feature ideal beauty forms than are boys. Comparing personal beauty with the model's is more or less typical for many teenage girls, but atypical for boys. The effect of comparison behavior varies with girls and boys; gender plays a critical role in individual responses to advertising. (Contains 4 tables of data and 23 references.) (NKA)

People who suffer from body dysmorphic disorder believe that their body is defected and that this defect makes them ugly. Their distorted body image can be precipitated by many internal and external factors and as a result of their imagined defect, these normal-appearing individuals exhibit self-defeating behaviors. The disorder can lead to the development of various other disorders, including depression, obsessive-compulsive behavior, mood disorders, and avoidant personality disorders among others. If counselors are to diminish the symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder, the disorder must first be thoroughly understood. Variations of cognitive therapies can help individuals with body dysmorphic disorder to address their irrational thoughts and thus enable them to become more accepting of themselves. Antidepressants are frequently employed, as is reflective therapy where patients explore past feelings about their body image during major developmental periods. Although subjects with this disorder view themselves in an irrational light, the patient must accept his or her body as normal before recovery can be effected. Sufferers can replace negative beliefs with positive ones and develop a new self-assurance and a sense of well-being. (RJM)

Whether judgments made by complete strangers as to the intelligence of subjects are accurate or merely illusory was studied in Germany. Target subjects were 50 female and 50 male adults recruited through a newspaper article. Eighteen judges, who did not know the subjects, were recruited from a university community. Videorecordings of the subjects, with and without a sound recording of the subject reading a weather forecast, were shown to the judges, who estimated how intelligent the subjects were. Ratings by judges were only related to measured intelligence when sound was available, indicating that some acoustic information is crucial for stranger perceptions of intelligence to be accurate and that only verbal intelligence quotient is related to stranger ratings. Strangers tended to rate attractive subjects as intelligent. Although this judgment was illusory, judgment based on fluid reading was fairly accurate. Four tables present study findings. (Contains 7 references.) (SLD)

This document reports on an investigation focusing on how the content of introductory college psychology texts' content related to physical attractiveness and self-esteem. The primary objective of this study was to review how recently published life-span developmental texts present physical development in middle childhood as related to traditional gender stereotypes. A secondary objective was to evaluate the integration of non-stereotyped themes related to a diversity of physical appearance, physical competence, and self-esteem. Traditional gender stereotypes evaluate male competency in terms of performance while physical attractiveness is the measure of female success. As a core component of pre-professional and professional education, life-span human development courses present knowledge about competency and self-esteem. An important question is whether the texts used in these courses challenge or perpetuate traditional gender stereotypes. This study investigates the gender content of 14 developmental texts published in the United States after 1986. In addition to reviewing the written text, the study analyzes a number of related components such as photographs, illustrations, sidebars, margin comments, summaries, and discussion questions. Preliminary results reveal that recently published textbooks contain numerous traditional gender stereotypes. However, the text and pictorial content also include many components that challenge these gender stereotypes. (DK)

The power of beauty has been contemplated by writers, poets, and philosophers for centuries. The link between the target physical attractiveness and perceived social influence effectiveness has not been directly and systematically investigated. The goal of this study was to assess whether physically attractive (versus unattractive) individuals are perceived as possessing different amounts and types of interpersonal power. Data was collected from 87 male and 139 female undergraduates. A questionnaire examined social-influence related impressions of the target, and three hypothesized mediating variables in the physical attractiveness-social influence relationship, including interpersonal attraction, identification, and social skills. This study extended previous research on the physical attractiveness stereotype into the domain of perceived interpersonal power. Correspondingly, the obtained results extended the conclusion "what is beautiful is good" to "what is beautiful is good--at getting others to do what he wants." The moderate inferential relationship between physical attractiveness and social influence effectiveness obtained in the present investigation is consistent with historical and anecdotal "evidence" that suggested that the power of beauty does exist. Identification with, and more strongly, perceptions of the targets' social skills were found to mediate the perceived link between looks and social influence effectiveness. (ABL)

Research indicates that clothing is a significant form of nonverbal communication that affects the perceptions of others. Fourth, seventh, and ninth graders (27 males and 33 females) from the Lincoln County Public Schools (Georgia) were shown three photographs of a female model in casual, moderate, and conservative attire. A modified Likert scale was used to measure student perceptions of eight teacher traits for each of the stimulus photographs. Results indicate that students' perceptions of teacher attributes are affected by teacher attire. In addition, different modes of dress tend to elicit certain perceptions while simultaneously decreasing the probability of other perceptions. Casual clothing was perceived by students to convey teacher friendliness, fairness, and interestingness. Moderate attire conveyed teacher friendliness, organization, interestingness, understanding, and discipline. Conservative dress elicited perceptions of teacher organization, knowledge, and disciplinary skills. Although differences in perceptions were evidenced at varying grade levels, no pattern of differing perceptions due to student gender emerged. (IAH)

This study sought to determine if there is a difference in the self-concept of students who are labeled or nonlabeled as having a disabling condition. Subjects in the study were 50 general education Chicago (Illinois) students (ages 12-15) and 50 special education students labeled as having learning disabilities, educable mental handicap, or social/emotional disturbance. Administration of the IMAGE Survey to the subjects revealed that, overall, there were no significant differences in self-concept, though 11 of the 27 survey statements did reveal self-concept differences between the two groups. The study concluded that: (1) special education students have a lower opinion of themselves in terms of personal appearance; (2) special education students often get discouraged before a goal is accomplished; (3) special education students do not view their work as being the best they can do and therefore do not feel proud of it; and (4) special education students often feel that their success on tests is due to luck instead of ability. (Contains 10 references.) (JDD)

A study was done of 5 selected domains of self-perception held by 60 urban black male 10th graders in North Carolina. The domains were scholastic competence, athletic competence, physical appearance, behavioral conduct, and job competence. Each domain was transformed into a research questions. Achievers (n=30) and potential achievers (n=30) as measured by the California Achievement Test (CAT) were compared on each question. Achievers had scored above the 50th percentile on the CAT and the potential achievers had scored below the 50th percentile. The research design was causal-comparative, with the independent variable being achievement. The findings reveal statistically significant differences for scholastic competence, job competence, and behavioral competence. The mean scores of the achievers on these three domains were greater than those of the potential achievers. Surprisingly, there were statistically significant differences on athletic competence and physical appearance, with the potential achievers having the greatest mean scores. The potential achievers' perceptions of athletic ability and competence at sports were greater than the achievers'. They perceived themselves to be very good at sports and athletic activities and to be more "good-looking." The potential achievers were certain of a successful career as an athlete or entertainer. Classroom instructional ramifications are provided for educators with national implications for the education of urban African American males who are potential achievers. Included are 5 tables and 20 references. (JB)

Explores the following five dimensions of self-perception held by black urban male 10th-grade students in North Carolina: (1) scholastic competence; (2) athletic competence; (3) physical appearance; (4) behavioral conduct; and (5) job competence. Investigates differences in these aspects of self-concept for 30 students scoring above and 30 scoring below the fiftieth percentile on the California Achievement Test (CAT). Subjects were administered the Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents. Higher achievers possess a perception of greater academic competence, and they perceive themselves as more competent at athletics and better looking than do the lower achieving group. Achievers also perceive themselves as more capable at a part-time job, and they feel better about the way they behave. Students who did well on the CAT place a high value on academic achievement and perceive that they have the potential to do well. Included are five tables of study findings and a 14-item list of references. (SLD)

Due to concerns that body shape preferences contribute to eating disorders among women, a new method to assess observer preferences for female body shapes was devised. In prior studies women have preferred thin models, but men have preferred models of average weight. In Experiment 1, an underweight female model was photographed in a white top and jeans. Later, she was padded to match the measurements of an average weight model and rephotographed. A slide of either the thin or padded model was shown to two separate Introductory Psychology classes, the first with 26 students and the second with 18 students. Due to low numbers of women in one condition, the results for the female subjects were inconclusive. But, contrary to prior findings, male subjects tended to find the thin model to be more appealing. In Experiment 2, student ratings indicated that the model was not perceived to be of the sizes intended. While subjects significantly differentiated the average model from the thin and very thin models, they did not clearly differentiate between the latter two. Because of this, body shape preferences could not be analyzed. The findings pinpoint certain limitations in the method of assessment. All photographs of models need to be pretested. Also, the finding that men prefer thin over average weight women is contrary to prior findings and seems worthy of further study. (Author/LLL)

Past research has suggested that interpersonal influence in counseling is enhanced as clients perceive their counselors to be interpersonally attractive and similar to themselves. This study examined the relationship of specific verbal and nonverbal cues to perceived counselor attractiveness in a field setting, and explored the relation between perceived counselor attractiveness and session impact, the client's perception of the qualities of a therapeutic session, and their feelings about the session. Clients (N=25) at a university counseling center, each seeing a different counselor, rated their counselors in terms of behavioral cues associated with attractiveness and session impact. Clients completed the attractiveness scale from the Counselor Rating Form, three additional items that assessed the similarity aspect of attractiveness, the expertness and trustworthiness scales from the Counselor Rating Form--Short Version, the Comparison Form to Measure the relative importance of six verbal and nonverbal cues in overall perceptions of the counselor, and the Session Evaluation Questionnaire to measure the impact of the counselor on the client in the session. The results indicated that counselor nonverbal behaviors were more salient to attractiveness ratings than were verbal behaviors. Perceived counselor attractiveness was not related to session impact, but expertness and trustworthiness were related. Similarity of the client to the counselor was associated with one aspect of session impact, session evaluation. (NB)

Although there has been much research on the link between femininity and female appearance, body image, and eating disorders, there has been little research with respect to the behavior of eating itself. Recent literature has indicated that an individual's perception of a women can be affected by the amount of food that the woman is perceived as eating. This study explored the relationship between meal size and perceptions of a woman by asking 97 college students to give their impressions of a female student who was seen via a television monitor eating one of four meals. Meals were varied in terms of both amount and gender connotations. Four questionnaires were used in the study: a questionnaire focusing participants' attention on the meal without revealing the meal's importance in the study; an adaptation of the Bem Sex Role Inventory designed to measure the viewer's impression of the woman's sex-typed characteristics; a Social Appeal Scale used to evaluate how much the participants liked the target woman; and a five-point Likert-type scale measuring aspects of the woman's attractiveness. The results showed that meal size significantly affected ratings of the woman's social appeal, physical attractiveness, and expressive traits, but not ratings of her instrumental traits. Thus, eating lightly appears to be socially advantageous for a woman. (Author/NB)

This study examined the impact of teachers' attractiveness and gender upon students' perception of the teachers' ability. A group of seventh grade math students (N=28) was chosen for the experiment. The students rated photographs of teachers in the areas of organization, classroom management, motivation, communication, sensitivity, imagination, and competence. The results of this analysis revealed a significant main effect on student perceptions due to the attractiveness of the teacher in the areas of organization, classroom management, motivation and sensitivity. Also, there was a significant main effect on students' perception due to the gender of the teacher. The students rated the female photographs higher than male photographs in the area of organization. Finally, there was a significant interaction between the attractiveness of the teacher and the gender of the teacher in the areas of organization, sensitivity, and imagination. Overall, females rated higher than males and teachers considered attractive were given higher ratings than teachers considered average and unattractive. (IAH)

Evaluates age and gender differences in physical self-concept of Turkish university students. The Physical Self-Perception Profile was administered to participants for assessing physical self-concept. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed a significant main effect for gender, but no significant main effect for year in school. Univariate analysis indicated significant gender differences in sport competence, physical condition, body attractiveness, and physical strength. (Contains 22 references.) (GCP)

This article examines the potential impact of adolescent social physique anxiety on behavior and physical activity settings. Offers that an awareness and consideration of the self-presentational sensitivities that adolescents may experience in physical activity settings provide important avenues for understanding and addressing certain types of troubling physical activity-related behaviors. (Author/MKA)