SELF-DISCREPANCY THEORY, STANDARDS FOR BODY EVALUATION, AND EATING DISORDER SYMPTOMATOLOGY AMONG COLLEGE-WOMEN

Potential links between personal and sociocultural aspects of body-ima ge concerns and sets of behavioral and emotional symptoms associated w ith eating disorders were explored within a self-discrepancy theory fr amework. It was predicted that actual:ideal body-image discrepancies f rom one's own standpoint would be related to symptoms reflecting feeli ngs like dissatisfaction and actual:ought body-image discrepancies fro m a societal standpoint would be related to symptoms reflecting feelin gs like anxiety. The Bodies Questionnaire, Eating Disorder Inventory, and demographic information were completed by 196 undergraduate women volunteers. Results generally supported the predictions, although the effects were small. Perceived body-image discrepancies from sociocultu ral prescriptions for slimness and appearance are more closely associa ted with symptoms reflecting failures to achieve these standards than with symptoms reflecting efforts to attain them. In addition, the cont ribution of personal ideals to bulimic symptomatology and body dissati sfaction includes concerns about body attributes not associated with w eight. Possible clinical applications are discussed.